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Emirates awarded Airbus the consolation prize of an order of an additional 15 A350-900 after refusing to purchase the larger variant, the A350-1000, due to engine durability concerns earlier in the week.

Emirates today announced an order for 15 additional Airbus A350-900s during the fourth day of the Dubai Airshow 2023, taking the Emirates’ total A350 order book to 65 units.

Earlier this week, Tim Clark, President of Emirates, told journalists that the airline would not order the larger variant of the A350, the A350-1000, until engine maker Rolls Royce could figure out the durability of the engine.

The first A350 is scheduled to join Emirates’ fleet in August 2024, and with today’s additional orders, Emirates will receive A350 deliveries until early 2028.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, said: “The A350-900s will add to our fleet mix, and we are pleased to announce additional orders for this aircraft type. We plan to deploy our A350s to serve a range of new markets, including long-haul missions of up to 15 hours flying time from Dubai. We will work closely with Airbus and Rolls-Royce to ensure our aircraft deliver the best possible operating efficiency and flying experience for our customers.”

Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International said: “With this agreement, we mark another solid step forward in the long-standing relationship agreement between Emirates and Airbus. A relationship founded on a pursuit of innovation, efficiency and operational excellence. Just as the A380 established itself at the heart of Emirates operations, we are equally proud of what the A350 will do in the years to come.”

Including its order for 95 additional Boeing aircraft on Monday, Emirates will have a total order book of 310 wide-body aircraft.

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Tags: airline news, aviation news, Dubai Airshow, emirates

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