Emirates hints at buying more A380s

The Dubai airline is the A380's biggest customer

Emirates airline President Tim Clark indicated that the airline will buy more of the existing A380 model if Airbus decides not to press ahead with a version with new engines.
The Dubai carrier is the A380's biggest customer and most vocal supporter within the airline industry of the world's largest passenger jet. Emirates has ordered 142 A380s, of which 77 are now in operation.
Airbus has shelved a potential upgraded version with more fuel efficient engines, dubbed the A380neo, for the time-being. However, the airplane manufacturer concentrates on a bigger version of its long-haul A350 plane.
"If they decide not to bring the Neo into play, we will buy more of the current A380," Clark told reporters on the sidelines of an Emirates news conference in Dubai on Tuesday.
"As the first batch comes up to retirement we will want to replace those with more 380s ... If you replace over time it's a continuum of orders," he explained.
The superjumbo, typically seats 544 passengers, has helped the Dubai carrier ease runway constraints at its Dubai hub, but Airbus plans to cut production due to weak sales.
The president said Emirates could increase its A380 fleet to 200 when the airline moves to Dubai's second airport, although that switch is unlikely before 2023.
"Whether that's enough to persuade Airbus to keep the line going is up to them, they have got to sell more and are trying very hard to do that," Clark said.
- abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com