Size matters – Emirates orders another 50 A380s

Emirates will continue to use the A380 as its flagship aircraft in ever-greater numbers. (Rob Finlayson)

As rivalry between Boeing and Airbus reached fever-pitch strong on the opening day of the Dubai Airshow on Sunday, Emirates confirmed the value it has derived from its flagship A380s, with an order for a further 50 of the type.

Following delivery of its first A380 in July 2008, Emirates has now taken delivery of 39 A380s, the 39th of which is on static display at the airshow.

“The A380 continues to be the flagship of our fleet and after five years in operation it remains highly popular with our passengers,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group. “It is still one of the most efficient aircraft to operate today in terms of fuel burn and emissions per passenger, and it gives us the flexibility in some cases to meet passenger demand in slot-constrained markets. This latest order will help us meet both fleet expansion and fleet replacement needs.”

Since first entering service in 2007, the A380 has joined the fleets of ten world class carriers. The combined A380 fleet has accumulated more than one million flight hours in almost 140,000 commercial flights.