Emirates has the world's biggest long-haul fleet

Dubai-based Emirates airline has overtaken German carrier Lufthansa to become the world’s largest fleet for long-haul flights and long – haul traffic, according to a latest study.

According to a study by Arthur D. Little, a consultancy firm, Emirates owns 155 long-haul aircraft which is the highest number by any airline in the world, WirtschaftsWoche https://www.wiwo.de/ magazine said quoting the report.

It also said that major European carriers like Air France-KLM Group, British Airways and Lufthansa will substantially lose market share to Gulf airlines such as Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Emirates in the coming years. The report also said that personnel costs and fees of Gulf carriers are 30 per cent less than those European airlines which help them make more competitive and profitable.

In another news, Emirates hit out at critics who claim that its growth is supported by government subsidies.

“We believe airlines should have open access to financing,” Emirates President Tim Clark said in a letter to Air Transport Association of America chief last week, Zawya Dow Jones reported on Sunday.

The Dubai carrier recently accused ATA of making false allegations against the benefits of export credit support, which is provided to support sales of aircraft from Airbus and Boeing.

Clarke said the availability of export credit guarantees “is confirmed less than six months before delivery of the respective aircraft… and we have only used export credit for just over 20 per cent of our total financing needs.”

He also rejected ATA accusation that Emirates’ financing costs are cheaper those at US carrier Delta.

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