‘We Need Aeroplanes, and We Need Them Now’ Says Emirates President
Photo Credit: Emirates has accepted its first of 65 Airbus A350 aircraft. Emirates
Skift Take
The A350 marks the start of fleet modernization for Emirates, alongside Boeing 777X and 787 aircraft. For Sir Tim Clark, the new planes can’t arrive soon enough.
The world has hundreds of international airlines, but only a select few can call themselves "super connectors." These carriers channel huge amounts of traffic through a hub airport, resulting in an almost infinite combination of one-stop city pairings.
Alongside notable competitors such as Turkish Airlines, Emirates has leveraged its geographic position to bridge continents and gain the "super connector" title. However, unlike its Istanbul-based counterpart, Emirates operates just two aircraft types: the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 777. But that’s set to change, effective January 2025.
Emirates has 65 Airbus A350-900s, 30 Boeing 787s, and 205 Boeing 777Xs on order. The airline is also investing $4 billion in retrofitting 191 existing aircraft with new cabin interiors. This will extend their operating ability and tide the carrier over while new aircraft arrive to replace them.
Emirates’ First Airbus A350On Monday, Emirates took deliv
