Deliveries on track says Emirates chief

Emirates airline said it does not see delays in aircraft deliveries from either Boeing or Airbus between 2009 and 2011.

Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Group, said the carrier is taking delivery of 17 new aircraft in its current financial year ending on March 31 next year.

Emirates will announce its financial results for the 2008-09 financial year within a month, Sheikh Ahmed said.

The airline has achieved a passenger load factor of 74% despite a slowdown in the international travel industry, he told reporters after signing an agreement with hotel chain Marriott International to manage Emirates Group's Dh1.8-billion twin-tower project in Dubai.