Emirates (EK, Dubai International) has announced plans to refurbish the cabins of sixty-seven A380-800s, fifteen more than previously planned, as both the Airbus quadjets and the B777-300(ER)s are expected to remain active for longer due to delays affecting the delivery of their replacement types.
Chief Commercial Officer Adnan Kazim said the airline would also stick to its plan of refurbishing fifty-three B777-300(ER)s. He contended that both types would have to operate longer than planned, although he did not offer any details about timelines. Emirates previously said its A380s would operate through the mid-2030s but never gave a specific phase-out date.
The refurbishment of 120 widebody aircraft will cost the airline in excess of USD1 billion and will comprise, among other changes, the installation of premium economy cabins. The ch-aviation fleets module shows that Emirates operates 121 A380-800s and 124 B777-300(ER)s.
Kazim clarified that the move was a "stop-gap" measure due to delays in deliveries of all replacement types.
Emirates has 115 B777X (sixteen B777-8s and ninety-nine B777-9s) on order from Boeing. Even though the type was originally scheduled to enter into service in 2020, it is stuck in a protracted certification process. The American manufacturer confirmed during its first-quarter results that its first B777X delivery is now expected in 2025. Emirates Chairman Tim Clark said earlier that delays beyond 2024 could lead to the cancellation of the order, although since then he has confirmed that the airline remains committed to the type. Clark also vowed to discuss specific airframes, as the first units already built for Emirates will be seven-years-old at the time of the delivery.
"They’re basically second-hand aircraft. We have to talk to them about that," Clark told The Seattle Times.
The carrier also has thirty B787-9s on order. The deliveries of this family remain on hold due to manufacturing quality issues, although Boeing hopes to resume them in the second half of 2022.
Finally, Emirates also has a commitment for fifty A350-900s. Deliveries remain scheduled to begin in 2023. However, Clark recently said that if Airbus does not address the fuselage paint issues that led to the grounding of a part of Qatar Airways' fleet of the type, Emirates might also refuse deliveries.
