Emirates Airline president Tim Clark says the carrier is likely to need even more A380s than the 90 it has ordered so far.
Speaking to Flight International in the wake of the recent order for 32 more A380s for delivery between 2015 and 2017, Clark said that deal was “simply an extension of the growth strategy which have been doing successfully for quite a number of years”.
He adds: “When the going gets good again, if we haven’t placed our orders and bagged the positions for the aircraft that we want to do the job then we’ll be behind the curve when everybody else is doing it.”
© Billypix |
And while the Dubai carrier’s huge A380 backlog has raised many eyebrows, Clark indicates that it may still have an appetite for more: “The mapping of the airline actually sees a lot more A380s needed than even that number, and I know that’s difficult for a lot of people to stomach.”
Emirates is flying 10 A380s configured with either 489 or 517 seats, and the type is popular, says Clark. “Whenever we fly the aircraft it fills up,” he says.
Source: FlightGlobal.com