BERLIN: Emirates Airline President Tim Clark said the Dubai-based carrier could buy as many as 200 Airbus Group NV A380 superjumbos if an upgraded model is introduced by the European plane maker.
Emirates Airline, the biggest buyer of the current A380 with 140 ordered, has been urging Airbus to upgrade the plane with new engines to improve its efficiency. Emirates will need more A380s to replace the ones in service and eventually could require between 100 to 200 A380neo jets, as the upgraded model is nicknamed, Mr. Clark told the German Council on Foreign Relations think tank.
Airbus officials have said they plan to continue upgrading the double deck, though have stopped short of promising the expensive process of putting new engines on the plane after spending around $15 billion to develop the original version now in service. The European plane maker this year will only start delivering A380 jets that no longer lose money.
Mr. Clark said the A380neo could deliver “a step change” in the airline’s profitability. The plane could be 13% more efficient than the existing version, he said. “That is enormous,” he said. Engines alone should yield 10% lower fuel consumption by introducing technical advancements developed over the past years.
Emirates also are working on redesigning its economy-class seats to cut the weight of each around 30% to reduce fuel consumption while improving comfort, Mr. Clark said. Airbus also is working on weight reductions and improving the aerodynamic efficiency of the plane, he said.
Mr. Clark said he is eager to see Airbus continuing building the plane. The plane maker’s chief financial officer Harald Wilhelm late last year suggested production could cease around the end of the decade absent more orders.
