(Nov 18): Emirates president Tim Clark said he’ll refrain from an order for Airbus SE’s A350-1000 aircraft for now, the manufacturer’s largest plane on order, as he waits for the jet’s engines to improve the durability and performance metrics he’s long criticised.
Speaking a day after Emirates ordered 65 additional Boeing Co 777X jets, Clark said the competing Airbus model is “not going to be in our purview” for the time being, and that he wants to first see how an upgraded version of the Rolls-Royce Holdings plc-made engines stacks up in flight from 2028.
While an order is “not out of the frame, we need to see how she performs on the wings,” under the improved conditions in a few years, Clark told reporters at the Dubai Air Show.
Clark’s comments dash Airbus’s hopes of finally securing a deal for its marquee jet with the world’s biggest international airline, while Boeing piles on more commitments for its 777X even as that plane faces lengthy delays. Clark has been critical of the engines on the larger A350 model, while calling the smaller -900 version a “peach” that’s already performing well in its fleet.
The Boeing announced on Monday includes the possibility of stretching the 777X version into a larger model, with Emirates saying it would engage in feasibility studies. Modifications would include changes to the fuselage and wings, while the General Electric engines could be tweaked to provide the additional lift, Clark said.
The same can’t be said for a stretched version A350-1000, which would require an entirely new engine, Clark said. Airbus is working on a concept for such a type, he said, adding that he doesn’t have details of what such an aircraft would look like.
See also: Emirates throws weight behind Boeing with top-up order for 777X
Emirates also has an order for 35 Boeing 787s, and the airline is keeping details of how to proceed with that order “up its sleeve,” though the company is leaning towards the large -10 version, Clark said.
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