Emirates Invests Heavily Into Flagship Airbus A380 Fleet at the 2023 Dubai Airshow
- Joe Breitfeller
- Nov 15, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 16, 2023
During the 2023 Dubai Airshow, Emirates announced substantial investments that will allow their Airbus A380 fleet to ‘Fly Better’ well into the next decade. The carrier signed agreements worth over $1.5 billion with an expanded network of providers and partners.
On Wednesday (November 15, 2023), from the 2023 Dubai Airshow, Emirates announced substantial investments in their flagship Airbus A380 fleet that will allow guests to ‘Fly Better’ well into the next decade. The investments will maintain and improve operational efficiency, while maximizing performance and reliability of their popular double-decker fleet. In total, Emirates has signed agreements valued at over $1.5 billion with an expanded network of partners to deliver superior aviation aftermarket and MRO services.
In Wednesday’s announcement, Emirates Airline’s President, Sir Tim Clark, said,
“The A380 has been and will continue to be very much part of the Emirates story. Its size and capacity has allowed Emirates to unlock growth at some of the world’s busiest airports, opened new opportunities for travellers, and substantially raised standards for passenger comfort. Our continued commitment to and confidence in the A380 are why we’re investing heavily to keep the fleet in optimal shape and pristine condition. The A380 will remain core to our network and customer proposition for the next decade, and we want to ensure our fleet is in tip-top shape.”
Emirates will optimize their Airbus A380 fleet’s lifespan by leveraging at scale the expertise and capabilities of partners including Honeywell, Collins Aerospace Pratt &Whitney, Safran, Lufthansa Technik, OEMServices, Gameco, Haeco, and others.
In parallel to the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) work already underway being carried out to maintain their A380 fleet, Emirates continues progress with the largest known retrofit program in the industry, worth $2.0 billion, which will elevate the onboard experience even further.
Emirates has signed a long-term agreement with Collins Aerospace to support the carrier’s A380 Main Landing gear program, while Safran Landing Systems will provide Emirates exclusive services for the Nose Landing gear. Honeywell will provide wheels and carbon brakes for 116 A380s, with maintenance on the wheels and brakes to be performed at Emirates maintenance shops in Dubai. In a relationship of over 15 years, Emirates has extended their agreement with OEMServices for ongoing A380 component support, including the supply of spare parts, repair services and engineering support.
Additionally, Pratt & Whitney and Emirates have signed a maintenance and support agreement for the airline’s PW980 Auxiliary Power Units. Emirates has also been building a select network or MRO partners to include nose-to-tail line base maintenance services, which includes Lufthansa Technik Gameco and Haeco. Lufthansa Technik will provide Base Maintenance Services (BMS) for the airline’s A380s and will also provide additional C checks for the aircraft over the next three years, which will be performed by Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP) in Manila.
Emirates has also signed a main landing gear agreement with Lufthansa Technik for future overhaul requirements. Additionally, the carrier has inked agreements with Guangzhou-based Gameco and Xiamen-based Haeco for A380 C Checks scheduled for January and February 2024, respectively.
Source: Emirates
