DUBAI, 9 October 2006 — Emirates Airline yesterday signed a contract for 10 Boeing 747-8F’s, and announced purchase rights for a further ten 747-8F’s. The combined value of these 20 aircraft is worth an estimated $5.6 billion at list prices. The contract for the 10 Boeing 747-8F’s formalizes the airline’s order, announced at the Farnborough Air Show earlier this year. The firm order of 10 aircraft is valued at approximately $2.8 billion at list prices and is scheduled for first delivery in 2010
The contract was signed in Dubai by Sheikh Ahmed ibn Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman and chief executive, Emirates Airline and Group, and Ken Schultz, Boeing Commercial Airplanes sales director.
“Our order for the 747-8F’s will be essential in helping us service our rapidly growing network of 28 freighter destinations which include exclusive freighter services to Bangalore, Lilongwe, Gothenburg, Amsterdam, and Taipei. Our cargo operations currently also serve Emirates’ 85 destinations as belly-hold space in our scheduled passenger services.” Sheikh Ahmed said in a press statement.
The 747-8F’s will effectively meet Emirates SkyCargo’s increasing requirement for additional capacity and operational flexibility. The 747-8F’s further offer reduced noise, lower emissions and reduced trip costs, as well as generous payload capacity with 140 metric tons.
The acquisition will position the carrier to take advantage of a strong regional and international cargo market. Air cargo traffic into, out of and within the Middle East accounted for 5.8 percent of the world’s tonnage and nearly five percent of the world’s revenue ton-kilometers during 2005.
Emirates currently operates a fleet of 98 wide-bodied aircraft to 85 destinations around the globe.
Maurice Flanagan, executive vice chairman — Emirates Airline & Group, Tim Clark, Emirates Airline president, Ram Menen, Emirates divisional senior vice president, cargo, Hiran Perera, Emirates vice president cargo — freighters, Geoffrey Rapp, marketing director of Middle East and North Africa for Boeing and Sami Y. Lahoud, communications director for the Middle East and Africa for Boeing were also present at the signing ceremony.
