IN BRIEF | Emirates will reconsider the Airbus A350 for its future fleet plans but will stack the airplane against the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in a head-to-head contest for a massive order from the Gulf carrier.
Earlier this month Emirates cancelled its order for 70 of the Airbus A350s but airline President Tim Clark has revealed that Airbus could find its way back to the table.
However, Boeing is also in with a square chance for its Dreamliner, and the canny Clark will no doubt play each aircraft manufacturer off one another to drive down the price.
"At the end of this year, beginning of next year, we will re-engage with Airbus on this aeroplane [the A350]" Clark tells The Financial Times, adding "We will also engage [with Boeing about the Dreamliner].”
Emirates is the world's largest customer for both the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 777, and Clark says these will remain the flagships of Emirates' long-range international fleet.
The A350 or Boeing 787 would slot into medium-range regional routes on Emirates' network map, with the airline looking to ink an order for between 50 and 70 of either jet in a deal worth at least A$20 billion at list price.
Gulf competitors Qatar and Etihad have already signed up for the Boeing 787, with Qatar also the launch customer for the A350's commercial debut at the end of this year.
Read more: Emirates to reconsider Airbus A350 order
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David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
14 Jan 2014
Total posts 341
Knowing Tim Clark, the only reason he cancelled the original A350 order, was so that he could replace it and beat Airbus down on price by bringing in the B787.
He is a slimy bugger
25 Jun 2014
Total posts 2
I don't think that's what they have in their mind. Because they are now looking for a regional widebody plane.
You have to consider that Emirates order their A350s back in 2007 at unbeatable price, when Airbus was slashing the A350 price to quickly fill the order tally. As well, the 787 was already on offer at that time, so he could have done the strategy you are describing back in 2007.
Seven years ago (2007), emirates was looking for a plane to replace their a330/340/777-200/777-300/777-300ER. At that time, the 777x was non-existent. The best plane to cover that whole range was the A350-900 & A350-1000, so they ordered them - the 787 was too small. But Emirates was not convinced tby the performance of the -1000 compared to the -300ER, hence his multiple complaint against that model.
Now that the 777x has been launched, Emirates rushed to order as it was a perfect replacement for their 777-300ER, while the a350-1000 was not. Now that the -300ER replacement, they are looking at a plane to replace the rest - a regional plane.
The A350-900 could have done the job, but it looks like they considered it as too much of a plane for these regional routes - otherwise they would have kept their A359 order. So I believe they will now order the 787-10 to replace the rest (330/340/777-200/777-300).
25 Jun 2014
Total posts 2
In the 3rd paragraph, it should read as "Now that the -300ER replacement has been taken care of".
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
05 Jun 2014
Total posts 210
Would I be correct to say these would be replacing the a340/a330
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