© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Emirates Airlines Airbus A380-880 plane approaches Dubai Airports, Dubai, United Arab Emirates on December 26, 2018. REUTERS/ Hamad I Mohammed/File PhotographDUBAI (Reuters), – Emirates plans to refurbish its fleet more than originally planned. This comes as Emirates faces delays in delivery of new Boeing (NYSE) aircrafts, and also seeks assurances about concerns regarding the Airbus A350s that it has ordered.
A new cabin in the premium economy is being installed by the Gulf carrier, which will cost $1 billion.
Adnan Kazim, a Dubai reporter, stated that Emirates will now refurbish 120 of its A380s and 777s. This is an increase from the previous 105.
These 67 A380s will be retrofitted to 52 of the original 52, and 53 refurbished 777s remain unchanged.
Kazim claimed that Emirates has always had plans to repair some of its older jets. However, the airline will now use more older aircraft to “stop” delivery delays.
Without providing any further information, he stated that Emirates is still talking to Boeing about delays in the 777x program. Emirates stated that it expects to receive its first 777x aircraft in 2025. This is five years earlier than initially planned.
Boeing delayed delivery to its customers by months due to structural problems. However, it is now scheduled to begin receiving 787 Dreamliners.
Emirates also wants assurances that Airbus’ A350s, due for delivery in the next year, will not suffer from the same surface issues as those reported by Qatar Airways.
Kazim refused to speak on the talks.