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Emirates super-sizes its fleetEmirates super-sizes its fleet FOR most airline executives the thought of fitting 55 A380 super jumbos into an airline's network would send shivers down management's collective spine. But not Emirates president Tim Clark. "I can't wait and we expect to double that order," an emphatic Mr Clark said. And as if to show off why, Mr Clark arranged a flight for global media over Dubai at 2000ft in the airline's latest 777-300ER - which sports a luxurious new interior - to see the hundreds of tourist and residential developments reaching for the city's sky, including the world's tallest building, the 545.7m Burj Dubai. Relaxing in a first-class suite aboard the 777-300ER, Mr Clark said Sydney and Melbourne would be among the first destinations for the A380, either late in 2009 or early 2010. "We are just finalising the detail," he said. Emirates, like Qantas, takes delivery of its first A380 in August next year. He added that the airline would be taking up its new allocation of landing rights as soon as aircraft were available. Initially Sydney and Melbourne will move to three flights a day, with In March, federal Transport Minister Mark Vaile granted a phased doubling of frequencies to 70 a week by 2011 for Emirates, while allowing its arch rival Etihad Airways to operate an additional 21 flights a week. One of the major constraints on the airline's expansion, Mr Clark said, was its home base, "We'd take 100 (A380s) if the airport could handle it," he said. "Of course, this is a decision for the Government, our shareholder, but it will also depend on the pace of completion of the new The first runway is due to be opened later this year and the entire project completed by 2017. Mr Clark is promising a spectacular interior for Emirates A380s but is tight-lipped on detail except to say: "You haven't seen anything yet." Unlike Qantas, which unveiled its A380 interior in July, Mr Clark said the Emirates A380 interior would be revealed in the second quarter of 2008, just before delivery of the first aircraft. In the meantime, Emirates is reconfiguring its entire fleet of 777s with the new look at a cost of $US14 million ($16.7 million) an aircraft. "We are gutting every one and doing a total makeover," he said. Even the airline's fleet of 29 A330-200s - the oldest aircraft in the fleet - will be given a more modest $US4 million-per-aircraft facelift. Centrepiece of the product is the airline's latest version of its ICE entertainment system, which now has more than 2000 video, music and game options including 203 movies, 72 international movies and 26 comedy TV series. One of the wide range of music options are the best recordings - at least 20 tracks for each - from the world's 156 top artists. Another option is 182 of the best albums from artists at the peak of their popularity and power. Mr Clark quipped that passengers were "actually complaining that they are not sleeping because they are engrossed in the entertainment system". Across the long-haul fleet, the airline is installing first-class suites with doors that give total privacy and feature decor and fittings styled on the Orient Express train. Business class gets fully lie-flat beds - dubbed mini pods - while economy seats feature more leg room and larger ICE screens. The first-class suites are already featured on the airline's A340-500s, which operate non-stop flights between Sydney/Melbourne and The airline is also taking delivery of the world's longest-range aircraft, the 777-200LR, which will operate new non-stop services from And despite a record backlog of 114 aircraft - 55 A380s, 48 777s and 11 747Fs - to enter service over the next five years, the airline is about to commit to more aircraft. Emirates is evaluating the 270-290 seat 787 Dreamliner and its rival, the A350, with an order for 100 aircraft at stake. For Emirates, and Qantas, Boeing is refining a new version of the 787, the -10 model, which will add another 30 passengers to the 310 in an international three-class configuration. "We are at an advanced stage in negotiating with the two aircraft manufacturers and it is expected that the chairman and chief executive, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, will make a decision on the A350 or the 787 within the next month or two," Mr Clark said. An announcement is expected at the Dubai Air Show in November. And the delay in the first flight of the 787 would not affect the choice, Mr Clark said. "It would have been a miracle for Boeing to have flown the 787 on time," he said. Mr Clark added that the 787 would be "one of the finest aircraft ever built". "If you think about it, there is just so much new technology in the 787 it is no surprise at all there is a short delay and the supply chain has let them (Boeing) down," he said. But Mr Clark believes Boeing will deliver the aeroplane close to schedule. The 787s or A350s, with their smaller capacity and ultra long range, will enable Emirates to connect Emirates is also shopping for another high-capacity jet, the new 467-seat Boeing 747-8I, which lengthens the classic 747-400 design by 5m and blends it with 787 cockpit, interior, systems technology and engines, with virtually a new wing. Mr Clark is bullish that Boeing will get the 747-8I range right for the Emirates range specification of non-stop from "They're (Boeing) not quite there yet but they are much, much closer than they were six months ago," he said. Boeing has been working on weight reduction to be able to achieve a For its part, Emirates is seeking new over-fly rights over Russia that would shorten its flight path to the US west coast, as well as examining a reduction in cruising speed of the 747-8I. The 747-8I will be the fastest subsonic aircraft at Mach 0.855 - slightly faster than both the 747-400 and A380. Emirates ordered 10 of the freighter version of the 747-8 at last year's Farnborough Air Show and is expected to order between 10 and 20 of the passenger variant. Angry air travelers plan 'strand-in' in |
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