3.24 AM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

Airlines upbeat on A380 delivery

(AFP)

Published
By Shweta Jain
Emirates and Etihad Airways on Tuesday said they received a letter from European aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, regarding the A380 superjumbo deliveries.

Confirming the same, Emirates' President, Tim Clark, said he is not expecting a delay of deliveries. "The letter from Airbus does not say there is going to be further delays to the A380. It states Airbus is having a major review of the A380 delivery schedule. We are hoping there will be no delays. But if there is a delay, it will have serious repercussions for us," Clark said. "And we will find that out in the next two weeks, or worst, by the end of the month," he added.

Emirates is expected to receive five of the 58 superjumbos it has on order, by March 2009, with the first one expected to arrive in the summer this year and 12 more by March 2010, according to Clark. He added Emirates is expected to receive all of the 58 superjumbos by 2013, as per the current schedule.

Etihad Airways' executive vice-president for sales and services, Geert W Boven, said while the airline has received the letter from Airbus, it is not likely to impact its A380 delivery schedule. "We have already pushed our A380 deliveries to 2013 against the original plan of 2009. So that is a long way from now. We are hoping to get all of our four A380s between 2013 and 2014," he told Emirates Business.