Emirates ! EK ! UAE !

DUBAI (Zawya Dow Jones)--Dubai-based Emirates Airline Wednesday said some of its double-decker Airbus A380 planes for delivery in 2010 will be delayed and that it may take over aircraft orders from rival carriers as it starts to emerge from the effects of the financial crisis.

"We've taken a bit of a delay on deliveries but not in years," Emirates Airline Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed ...

Emirates President Tim Clark elaborated on the A380 delays mentioned Wednesday by Chairman Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, telling the DPA news agency that three aircraft scheduled to arrive in November and December now will be delivered in December and January. At the end of 2010 EK will operate 15 A380s instead of the planned 20 and it expects to take 11-12 aircraft in both 2012 and 2013. Delivery of its order for 58 should be finished by 2017. Clark also said EK is evaluating converting options on additional planes in order to take advantage of newly open delivery positions and that its Dubai-Incheon A380 service will begin Dec. 14.

Emirates' Clark outlines concerns over alliance power
By David Kaminski-Morrow

Emirates Airline president Tim Clark has expressed strong concern over the increasing power of airline alliances, and insists that membership would stem the Dubai-based carrier's development.

Addressing the European Aviation Club in Brussels on 12 November, Clark highlighted the drive towards consolidation and suggested that the issue of airline competition risked becoming a "forgotten story" of the economic recession.

"Our fear is that aviation's economic recovery in the coming years will see a handful of dominant alliances able to fundamentally alter the competitive landscape in many markets for consumers and unaligned airlines," he says.

"Emirates is big enough now to look after itself but we strongly believe protecting the interests of consumers requires governments and regulators to resist opportunistic and self-interested calls from some in our industry to bend fair competitive norms and structures.

"It is a difficult operating environment for all airlines but certain approvals for consolidation or the granting of immunities for alliances - which otherwise would be viewed with significant scepticism - must be challenged."

He underscores Emirates' resistance to alliance membership, saying that this would become an "artificial brake" on the carrier's business plans, and views 'white spots' lacking alliance coverage as "important drivers for competition and consumer choice".

While consolidation can be justified in some cases, and the failure of financially-unviable carriers is necessary, Clark says that the combination, when taken alongside alliance power, "concerns Emirates".

Clark is particularly irked about the influence of Star Alliance. He cites examples where authorities in Canada and Germany appear to have acted to defend Star carriers against Emirates - and ridicules suggestions that such competition could damage the alliance.

"Hurt Star Alliance?" he says. "How do you hurt a 25-member mega-alliance? And where is the consumer's voice in such a statement?"

While the three major alliances have already established a firm presence, and are succeeding in gaining anti-trust immunity, Clark fears that powerful airline groups will continue to cite exceptional circumstances in order to seek "dispensation to dominate more markets".

He insists that competition regulators must ensure that a "balance is struck" between consolidation, the clean-out of unviable carriers, and "creation of 21st century monopolies".

Emirates talking with Boeing, Airbus about 'tens' of orders

Dubai-based Emirates Airline on Monday said it is talking with Boeing and Airbus about orders for "tens" of new aircraft, according to a Dow Jones report.

"We're having discussions with Boeing and Airbus," Emirates Airline Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum told reporters at a round-table event on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow, Dow Jones said. "Not only for firming up options but also for buying more."

Ahmed said there won't be any announcements at the Dubai Airshow, but airline President Tim Clark told Zawya Dow Jones that "it wouldn't be too long."

In the story, Ahmed said Emirates may be interested in a larger version of the 787 Dreamliner if Boeing were to offer it.

Emirates To Order More A380s

Nov 17, 2009




Emirates is looking at placing an order for more Airbus A380s and other aircraft as the airline is reevaluating its fleet plans in the wake of the economic downturn and a changed schedule for the new Dubai International Airport.

President Tim Clark told AviationWeek that Emirates could use an additional 20 A380s on top of its existing order for 58 aircraft. Whether it goes ahead with its plans will depend greatly on whether Dubai International Airport can accommodate the additional aircraft at the existing facilities, and at the new Terminal 4, which is currently under construction.

One important reason behind the considerations is the delayed construction of Dubai's new al-Makhtoum International Airport in Djebel Ali. Although the first stage of the new site will be opened by next summer, Clark says it will take eight years for the facility to have been sufficiently expanded for Emirates' needs. But major construction work has been pushed back by Dubai's government because funding has proved difficult as a result of the global financial crisis. Dubai as a whole has pulled back significantly on many of its prestige projects such as two more artificial palm islands off its coasts and a new world's tallest building, Al-Burj.

If Emirates wants to expand further, it will have to use larger aircraft because DXB's two-runway system has limited capacity. "The reason why we initially ordered 58 A380s was because we could not fit any more into the existing infrastructure," says Clark. "We are now talking to the airport about how to accommodate more."

A new supplementary fleet plan is also evaluating if Emirates could pick up delivery slots freed up by other airlines. The airline would likely look at more Boeing 777-300ERs. Its existing order for 70 A350s might be changed, too. Today, the airline has signed up for 50 A350-900s and 20 A350-1000s, "but we might invert that" to increase capacity. Emirates is also looking at a letter of intent signed last year for 30 Airbus A330-300s and A350s. It was supposed to have been converted into a firm order by the end of 2008, but Emirates did not go ahead due to the economic uncertainty. But Clark said Airbus has reassured the airline that the deal is still in place from its point of view. Clark indicates that the A330s could end up being too small given the slot constraints at its home base.

Separately, Emirates may delay the phase out of aircraft that it was planned to start in mid-2010. Between 2010 and 2013, the airline wanted to get rid of its 29 A330-200s, all remaining 777-200s and 777-300s, as well as its A340-300s. That process could now start several months later in order to provide interim capacity.

Clark says Emirates would sell the 10 A340-500s it has because they have turned uneconomical with the high fuel prices, but there are no buyers. The carrier is no longer considering an order for the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental because it believes that before long the A380 can do the missions from Dubai to the U.S. West Coast.

Emirates currently has 53 A380s on firm order in addition to 70 A350s and 23 Boeing 777-300ERs.

Emirates in A380 delivery hiatus from late 2010
By Max Kingsley-Jones

Details have emerged of Emirates' Airbus A380 delivery schedule over the next three years, which reveal that the airline has pushed back fleet expansion and will not receive any of the superjumbos for almost a year after the end of 2010.

Speaking at the Dubai air show, Jim Moravecek, outgoing president of the 50/50 General Electric/Pratt & Whitney joint venture Engine Alliance, said that Emirates, which is the lead GP7200-powered A380 customer, had delayed deliveries: "Emirates will take 15 A380s through next year, then defer for a little while."

An Engine Alliance chart showing fleet growth of the GP7200-powered A380 between the first delivery in 2008 and 2012 reveals that from mid-2010, when the Emirates fleet was due to reach 15 units, there are no deliveries for around 10 months. Since the chart was produced, Emirates has revealed that due to production hold-ups its A380 fleet will not reach 15 units until late 2010.




According to the chart, Emirates shipments then resume from around mid-2011 (a date that is also likely have moved to the right), with its fleet rapidly doubling over around 18 months to 30 aircraft by the end of 2012.

Emirates Airline president Tim Clark recently told Flight International the airline's A380 schedule beyond the first 15 deliveries "remains fluid". In response to the Engine Alliance data, Emirates says "we still have no firm delivery schedule from Airbus", but will not comment about whether it has deferred any aircraft.

Emirates has taken five A380s since its first arrived in July 2008. Its sixth, which is due before the end of November, is one of the ex-Airbus development airframes. Nine more deliveries are due through to late 2010.

Moravecek, who took over as Alliance president in mid-2008, is returning to P&W early to lead its advanced next-generation product family arm. He has been replaced by Mary Ellen Jones, who will see out the remainder of the three-year term.

Meanwhile, Emirates has brought forward the introduction of the A380 on the Dubai-Paris route, with plans to start services before the end of the year. It says the decision is due to an "operational review, coupled with demand on the route" as well as "earlier aircraft availability".

Emirates brings first Airbus A380 to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Emirates to commence A380 operations to Jeddah in 2010


DUBAI, U.A.E. 24th December 2009 : Marking the first commercial A380 into the Kingdom, Emirates will serve Jeddah four times weekly with the super-jumbo from February 1st, 2010.


Jeddah will be the eighth destination to be added to the growing list of gateways served by the A380 which include; Sydney, Auckland, Heathrow, Bangkok, Toronto, Seoul and from 29th December, Paris.
Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ Senior Vice President Commercial Operations Gulf, Middle East and Iran said: “The introduction of the highly acclaimed A380 on the Jeddah route is a true reflection of an increased demand for services in and out of the Kingdom. This service into Jeddah will mark Emirates’ first Middle Eastern A380 destination outside of Dubai, a significant milestone for both Emirates and Saudi Arabia.”

“Adding an A380 onto this perpetually busy route will significantly increase our capacity; ensuring passengers have greater access to flights whilst enjoying the distinction of travelling on the world’s largest and most heralded aircraft.”

The A380 service to Jeddah will be the first aircraft into the city to contain three-configuration cabins. The A380 aircraft will feature 14 Private Suites in First Class, 76 new generation, fully flat seats in Business Class and 427 seats in the Economy cabin.


Starting 1st February next year, EK 803 will leave Dubai four days a week on Monday, Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday, at 1630hrs and arrive in Jeddah at 1830hrs. From Jeddah, EK 804 departs at 2045hrs, arriving in Dubai at 0015hrs.

Emirates currently has seven A380 aircraft in its fleet. The airline boasts the world’s largest order of Airbus A380s with a further 51 double-deckers still to be delivered.


Emirates commenced services to Jeddah in 1989, with Jeddah the first of three gateways that Emirates now operates to in the Kingdom, in addition to Riyadh and Dammam.

Emirates currently operates a daily flight to Jeddah from Dubai.

Emirates talks to Boeing about 777 successor and hints at more big
orders

By Max Kingsley-Jones

Emirates is continuing dialogue with Boeing
about its plans to develop a 777
replacement, as the airline hints that more big twinjet orders could be
in the offing.
The Dubai carrier’s all-widebody fleet totals more than 140 aircraft,
with a further 168 on order. Its backlog comprises 18 777-300ERs, which
make the balance of its orders and leases for 71 aircraft, as well as
70 A350 XWBs
(50 -900s/20 -1000s) and 80 A380s.
A rollover will begin in February 2011 when Emirates starts phasing
out 68 older widebodies – A330-200s, A340-300/500s and 777 “Classics”.
Emirates Airline president Tim Clark says that the new A380
deal has no impact on its current orders for smaller widebodies,
adding: “There’s plenty more out there, I can tell you.”
This has fuelled speculation that more large-twinjet orders are being
discussed, and industry sources indicate that Emirates may be
negotiating a big Boeing deal for Farnborough.
Phase-out of the airline’s 777-300ERs begins in 2017, and while its A350-1000s
are potential replacements, Clark confirms solutions from Seattle are
in the mix.
“We’ve told Boeing we need to look at something that has
the legs, the lift and economics of today’s -300ER but with the
A350-1000’s predicted fuel burn.”
Clark concedes there is no guarantee Boeing will decide to develop
such a new big twin, but says that “if they do it somewhere between 2017
and 2020” the airline would consider it, “otherwise we’ll have to think
again about the -300ER replacement”.
The airline aborted a planned deal for 30 A330-300s and
30 more A350-1000s announced in July 2008 at the time of its first A380
delivery.
Although Clark revealed last year that he was considering reviving
the transaction, that may no longer be the case because of the new A380
contract.

Late last week, Emirates eleventh A380 (MSN030) was delivered to the airline at a ceremony in Toulouse.

This now makes Emirates the largest operator of the A380 with eleven SuperJumbo’s in its fleet, while Singapore Airlines has ten, Qantas has six, Air France has three and Lufthansa has one.

Emirates : le chiffre d'affaires bondit de plus de 58% sur 5 mois en France

La compagnie de Dubaï, Emirates, a vu son chiffre d'affaires bondir de plus de 58% en France sur les 5 premiers mois de l'exercice sous l'effet d'une hausse des capacités combinée à une forte reprise du trafic affaires, a annoncé mardi à l'AFP son directeur général France.

http://www.boursorama.com/international/detail_actu_intern.phtml?num=98871d15214b74022ffbd47d8bf0712f