The biggest customer for the A380 is Emirates, which has so far ordered a total of 140 of the planes and currently counts 52 in its fleet. Emirates’ CEO, Tim Clark, has been applying pressure on Airbus to replace the current engines on the plane with a new, more fuel-efficient option. Clark is pressing for an increase of 10% to 12% in fuel consumption, which Airbus can achieve only with a new engine and other improvements.
Clark has promised that Emirates would order 60 or more of the re-engined version of the A380 if Airbus decides to build the plane. According to aircraft industry research firm Leeham, however, Clark noted that Airbus is currently risk-averse on the A380 and making a business case for putting new engines on the plane is “a challenge.”
Airbus is probably looking at the drop in orders for Boeing Co.’s (NYSE: BA) 747. Only 28 commercial versions of the planes are currently on Boeing’s order book, and Boeing has shown no sign that it intends to re-engine the venerable jumbo jet or build a replacement for it.
Clark also provided some insight into the thinking that led Emirates to cancel an order for 70 Airbus A350s last June. The cancellation led to speculation that the airline would replace the order with Boeing’s new 777X, which are scheduled for first deliveries in 2020. The airline has already taken delivery of 67 of Boeing’s 777-300 ERs and has another 53 on order. Boeing is trying to get Emirates to take more.
Leeham reports that Emirates very likely won’t replace the A350 orders with the 777-300ER two-engine, wide-body plane, but would instead wait until both the A350 and the 787-9/10 are both delivered to see how their performance compares. If Emirates were to order more 777-300ERs today, they would not be delivered until sometime in 2018, just two years before the 777X is scheduled for first deliveries. Clark did not rule out ordering more of the older Boeing planes, but clearly would prefer not to.
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