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Emirates is due to receive its first higher-density configured Airbus A380 in November....

Author: Max Kingsley-Jones

Date: 01 October 2009

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In his article Max Kingsley-Jones states that 'Emirates, which has five A380s in service and will introduce 10 more through to the summer of next year ...'.

This is way too optimistic, based on current A380 production information, Emirates will not receive their 15th A380 until Q2 2011. Suggest Max checks his facts before his next article is published.

Geoff H

 

 

Hi Geoff

Regarding your comment about my article, I can assure you I always do the utmost to check my facts when writing a story.

While I don't have a full breakdown of EK's A380 delivery schedule, I did spend several hours last week conducting a one-on-one interview with Tim Clark (EK CEO) in Dubai, I have a short video interview with him (to be put on line later this month) in which he says: "by the middle of next year we will have 145 widebodies, 15 of which will be the A380".

Based on the fact that EK currently has five, I make that ten more coming in through to next summer ("niggling production delays" allowing). Obviously if a CEO likes Tim Clark gives you information like that, you would assume it to be correct, unless he mis-spoke. I will check this with Emirates. 

Max

Hi Max,

I'll be interested to hear what Emirates have to say about this. Maybe the CEO isn't the best person to speak on matters of 'detail' such as when A380s get delivered !!! Could there have been some confusion between calendar and financial years ? 

 Regards

 Geoff

 

Hmmm, maybe they are thinking of ordering the 747-8I? They were showing some real interest in it a while back, maybe they are looking for something to "right size" the fleet, with something between a high density 777, and a high density A380.

Ok, someone gave my post 1 star, maybe I didn't explain this well enough. Why is it that hard to believe, the 747-8 was designed for a place between the 777 and A380, and now that Emirates is increasing it's A380 capacity, the gap between these two aircraft is widening. They have shown a lot of interest in the 747-8 in the past, but chose the A380. Now that this gap is forming, and a place for it in the fleet is forming, maybe they will reconsider.

Further to my earlier post, I have now verified with Emirates that what I originally wrote was correct about 10 A380s arriving through to next summer, as the airline confirms it will have 15 by the middle of 2010.

Thanks Max, I still find this hard to believe. I hope EK have told Airbus when they expect these deliveries !

The fastest that an A380 has gone from component convoy ( into TLS ) to delivery is 13 months ( SQ's last ) although SQ's next will make it in 11 months. The 14th and 15th for EK have not been convoyed yet. They'd have to make it through the assembly and outfitting stages in 8 months to make 1st July 2010. Normally reliable unofficial sources have EK's fleet reaching 15 in Q2 2011.

Regards

 

Geoff H 

 

The major components for EK's 14th and 15th A380s have now started to arrive in Toulouse, so it's looking as though deliveries have been brought forward to 2010.

http://a380production.com/

 

Geoff