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It seems the Airbus A380 could have secured another lifeline in the Emirates fleet as the airline’s Boeing 777X delivery schedule remains up in the air. During an exclusive conversation with Simple Flying, the airline’s president revealed that he expects the giant of the skies to fly for longer, given the uncertainty of 777X deliveries.
Recently, most news about the Airbus A380 has been relatively negative, be it Lufthansa sending the fleet to the desert, possibly on a one-way trip, or Etihad questioning whether the type will ever return. However, one man has been far more optimistic about the future of the double-decker giant, Sir Tim Clark.
A benefit to the Boeing 777X delays
The delay to the Boeing 777X delay is largely problematic for airlines around the world. The same is true for Emirates. The UAE mega-airline is planning to use the 777X to replace its A380 fleet. However, now Clark is worried that he may not get his first 777X until 2025, despite the first due last summer.
With no idea when he will start taking delivery of the 777X, Sir Tim is left with a problem. He can’t accurately plan the retirement of the giant of the skies. When asked by Simple Flying if the 777X delays would mean the A380 would stick around longer, Clark commented,
“Of course it does… When the 777-9 came along we were able to start growing the capacity and growing the network as well as taking some of the older 380s out as they were obviously coming up to their retirement age. All of that has been shifted to the right, but we actually don’t know by how much at this stage. This is vexing us a little bit in terms of cash management, etc…”
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What’s the delay with the Boeing 777X?
The Boeing 777X has…
