DUBAI—After four days of intense back and forth over a potentially large order for Airbus A350-1000s, Emirates agreed Nov. 16 to place an order for 15 of the smaller A350-900s.
The deal comes on top of an existing Emirates commitment for 50 of the A350-900, the first of which is expected to arrive in August 2024. All 65 of the A350s are to be delivered by 2028, according to Emirates.
“The A350-900s will add to our fleet mix,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group. “We plan to deploy our A350s to serve a range of new markets including long-haul missions of up to 15 hours flying time from Dubai.”
“With this agreement we mark another solid step forward in the long-standing relationship agreement between Emirates and Airbus,” Airbus Chief Commercial Officer Christian Scherer said.
Emirates ordered 55 additional Boeing 777-9s, 35 -8s and five additional 787s on Nov. 13, which joined earlier commitments for 120 777-9s and 30 787s. Emirates Airline President Tim Clark said Nov. 14 that the carrier was interested in buying as many as 50 A350-1000s, but that deal was held up by his concerns over the durability of the variant’s Trent XWB-97 engine.
“The engine is not doing what we want it to do,” Clark said. “So, we won’t order until it does.” Emirates was demanding maintenance guarantees for up to 2,500 cycles and a less expensive power-by-the-hour deal. In the harsh environment in which the airline operates—with high temperatures in the summer and dust and sand ingestion a common occurrence—the engine is reaching “less than a quarter of the cycles on wing,” Clark said, referring to experiences of other -1000 operators in the region.
“Why would you buy a defective engine?” Clark asked. “400-500 hours on wing is not doing the job.”
“It’s not defective,” said Ewen McDonald, chief customer officer at Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace, in response. “This engine is reliable. It’s just not staying on wing as long as customers would want, and that’s our focus,” he said. “It’s better for Rolls-Royce because if engines stay on wing for longer, they have less shop visits and less cost. So, I couldn’t be more aligned as far as what he wants to do with this engine, which is to improve durability and time on wing.”
Al Makhtoum said Nov. 16 that “we will work closely with Airbus and Rolls-Royce to ensure our aircraft deliver the best possible operating efficiency and flying experience for our customers.”
Up until the opening of the Dubai Airshow, Airbus recorded 127 net orders for the A350, and 78 of the commitments were made for the A350-1000. Since the start of deliveries, the lion’s share of orders had previously been for the -900. In Dubai, Airbus added 15 firm orders for the -900 (Emirates) and a memorandum of understanding for 11 -900s signed by Ethiopian Airlines. t orders for the A350, and 78 of the commitments were made for the A350-1000. Since the start of deliveries, the lion’s share of orders had previously been for the -900. In Dubai, Airbus added 15 firm orders for the -900 (Emirates) and a memorandum of understanding for 11 signed by Ethiopian Airlines.
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