Emirates will be adding 37 new aircraft to its fleet beginning its new fiscal year, starting in April. This is mostly a result of expanded routes within Asia. Emirates already serves 150 destinations in 80 countries around the globe and has the world’s largest large jet fleet. A flight from Dubai to Panama will begin in February, making it the longest non-stop flight in the world (at least for awhile)
The purchase includes 21 Airbus A380 superjumbos — a buy that may help prove this particular aircraft has a future. Additionally, 16 Boeing 777s were ordered. The aircraft are worth $14.5 billion. The company plans to retire 26 aircraft, mostly A330s and A340s.
More on this story from Bloomberg Business at this link.
Always interesting how airlines are compared for size (most passengers? most routes? most planes?). That’s the case here, because actually Emirates doesn’t have the largest fleet, but does have the most wide-body planes; it’s nearly the only type they fly. But in overall numbers, they don’t even make the Wikipedia top 19 list here:
Incidentally, the Bloomberg article says those planes are going into service in the year ending March 2017 (that is, in the next 12-13 months). If that’s accurate, it’s not such great news for Airbus, because it means delivery on long-standing orders. Planes ordered now would be delivered a few years out…