Emirates orders a further 32 Airbus A380s

DUBAI-based Emirates Airline has ordered a further 32 A380s from Airbus. This takes their total firm orders for the aircraft up to a staggering 90 aircraft.

Following delivery of their first A380 in July 2008, Emirates now operates 10 aircraft serving eight international destinations including Auckland, Bangkok, Jeddah, London Heathrow, Paris, Seoul, Sydney and Toronto. The airline expects the list of destinations to increase as more and more airports around the world are A380 ready.

The order has a list price of US$11.5 billion, but what the airline will really pay Airbus is anyone’s guess. The manufacturer is still losing money with the model, so even if it gives Emirates a massive discount, as it surely will, it must be both happy that it is making any money at all on the deal and hoping that the sudden influx of A380s on the market will kickstart a wider market demand for the aircraft.