Emirates Air is mulling over a decision to snap up Airbus and Boeing aircraft orders put on hold by the cash-strapped competition, the company's Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum said Wednesday.
"We are looking at it (buying more planes) ... we are making the assessments, but clearly with the growth we have and the profit we made, there is nothing to suggest after the recession we shouldn't move rapidly," Tim Clark, airline president, recently told Reuters.
Emirates expects the delivery of at least 10 new A380 double-decker jumbo jets slated for 2010. The arrival of the super-size fleet is expected to coincide with the company's upcoming route expansion.
Clark said the airline's expansion plans could be affected by an anticipated delivery delay in Airbus's A380 next year.
"We should have had 15 by June 2010 ... we are getting two in December and then the remaining eight between January and November next year, so one or two are being pushed back."
Emirates is the largest customer for the mega-planes, with 58 various models of aircraft on order.
The commercial jetliner expects to see improving revenues in the second half of the year, Saeed Al-Maktoum recently told reporters.
"We're seeing much better numbers for December and January, in terms of forward booking, that's positive," he said. "We are confident about the market, about the growth."
Emirates airline, the biggest buyer of the "superjumbo" Airbus A380, said Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009, it is considering increasing its order for the double-decker plane despite delays on existing orders. (AP Photo/Aziz Shah, file)
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