Emirates will receive its first Airbus A350 in October

DUBAI, 11 September 2024 (WAM) — Emirates is expected to receive its first Airbus A350 aircraft in October, with a total of five Airbus aircraft scheduled to be delivered to the airline by the end of this year.

Adel Alredha, Deputy President and Chief Operations Officer of Emirates Airline, said on the sidelines of the first edition of the Dubai AI and Web3 Festival that the airline will receive five Airbus aircraft by the end of December this year, while not a single Boeing aircraft has arrived yet.

He added: “Due to delays in aircraft deliveries, we have had to extend the deployment of some of our current aircraft.”

Alredha also mentioned the company’s aircraft modernisation programme and Emirates’ commitment to providing the best customer experience. He pointed out that the aircraft retrofit programme covers 190 aircraft, following an increase in the number of aircraft earmarked for modernisation under a plan costing over $3 billion.

Alredha explained that the supply difficulties date back years, as many companies that manufacture aircraft were affected during the COVID-19 pandemic by either reducing production or laying off part of their workforce. As a result, he said, the demand for air travel after the pandemic ended was very high and exceeded the ability of these companies to meet market demand and effectively reorganize their operations.