By Arabian Post Staff
Emirates placed a firm order for 50 A350-900 XWB aircraft worth US$16 billion (Dh58.7 billion) at list prices at the Dubai Airshow 2019. Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, delivery of the first Emirates A350 XWB is expected in May 2023, and will continue until 2028.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Chairman and Chief Executive, signed the deal with Guillaume Faury, Chief Executive Officer of Airbus. This purchase agreement replaces the heads of agreement signed in February where Emirates announced its intent to purchase 30 A350s and 40 A330Neos.
The announcement comes despite headwinds in the global aviation industry. However, Emirates continues to buck trend with new orders. The new orders comes just ten days after the airline announced a 282 percent jump in its half-year net profits for the period ending April to June 2019.
During the first half of the current financial year. Emirates net profit jumped 282 percent to Dh862 million (US$235 million), compared to last year. Emirates revenue, including other operating income, of Dh47.3 billion (US$12.9 billion) was down 3 percent compared with the Dh48.9 billion (US$ 13.3 billion) recorded during the same period last year.
The order shows that Emirates will not deploy single-aisle aircraft and will maintain a 100 percent wide-bodied fleet.
The A350 will enable Emirates to serve a range of new markets, not only in region but also on long-haul missions of up to 15 hours of flying time from Dubai. Emirates intends to equip its A350s with its latest products, and offer different cabin configurations including Premium Economy.
Emirates currently operates an all wide-body fleet of efficient and modern aircraft, comprising the iconic Airbus A380 and the popular Boeing 777. From its hub in Dubai, the airline serves over 150 cities on six continents, offering award-winning inflight and on ground services.
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