Emirates Airways, already the world’s leading operator of A380s and 777s has taken a big step into Dreamliner-world with an order for 40 Boeing 787-10s, the second-largest order so far for the newest model.
The deal, which puts Emirates behind only Singapore Airlines, was announced on Day 1 of the Dubai Airshow, dampening Airbus’s hopes that the airlines next big buy would be more A380s.
That deal is apparently on hold over Emirates’ desire for Airbus to commit to ten more years of production, a goal that Airbus would have trouble meeting, as it’s had almost no new orders for the plane in several years and has slowed production to avoid running out of orders. The decision to go with the 787-10s, which can carry over 300 passengers, would likely reduce Emirates’ appetite for the larger but more-expensive-to-operate Airbus plane.
The Boeing deal is worth about $15 billion at list prices, but airlines with big orders are known to never pay list…or to reveal just what they are paying. Boeing also booked another, smaller, Day 1 order, selling 5 787-8s to Azerbaijan Airlines, along with a future order for two large freighters.
