Emirates airline is already the world’s biggest operator of the Airbus A380 superjumbo. And now the Dubai-based carrier is set to get two more.
The airline announced Wednesday that it would buy the two A380s that Airbus had built for Japanese carrier Skymark, which later backed out of its deal for the planes.
Emirates already flies 75 A380s with another 65 on order. The double-decker A380 is the world’s largest passenger aircraft. Emirates’ models have layouts ranging from 489 seats to 615. Emirates also is the world’s largest operator of Boeing’s popular Boeing 777 widebody.
Those two planes have helped fuel a rapid global expansion for Emirates, now one of the biggest airlines on the planet. Today, Emirates flies more international passengers than any other carrier.
As for its two new A380s, they’re set to be delivered to the carrier in the fourth quarter of 2017, The Associated Press reports. The planes would be worth $865 million at list prices, though big airlines typically receive significant discounts on such orders.
Emirates has been Airbus’ top customer for the A380 by a wide margin, accounting for 45% of all orders for the jet, according to The Wall Street Journal.
A number of other airlines bought A380s in smaller numbers when the jet first came on the market. Other customers now flying the jet include Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas, Air France and British Airways, among others.
But orders have been few since the early days of the A380. The Journal notes “airlines have shied away from the large plane, concerned they can’t find a financially viable way to fill the aircraft, which seats more than 500 passengers.”
And several carriers have backed out of prior commitments for the jet, including Skymark Airlines.
Reuters writes “Airbus, which had been left holding onto the two mammoth planes after clashing with failed Japanese carrier Skymark Airlines over unpaid debts, announced the sale of two planes to an undisclosed customer earlier this week.” Emirates acknowledged Wednesday that it was the buyer.
Reuters adds “the sale resolves the problem of what to do with two aircraft that have been sitting outside its plant in blue tails and green primer paint for months, diverting cash.” The planes now must be reconfigured for Emirates, which plans to fly them in its “high-density” two-class layout.
“We’ve always been open about how the A380 has been a big success for Emirates. It’s a boon for our operations to slot constrained airports and we get a lot of positive feedback from our customers,” Emirates president Tim Clark says in a statement to The National of Dubai.
USA Today
Emirates takes ex-Skymark A380s
