Page 16 - SINGAPORE AIRSHOW 2024 - INSIGHT

“

I still fall back to what I believe to be
the essence of the model that we
have constructed here.
We are an international airline based
in a super hub, based in Dubai, which
happens to be an enormously
powerful magnet anyway, in its own
right, and continues to grow.

Tim Clark
President of Emirates

Q Emirates is holding back on the out of the door, we have to place is there room for three? What’s
A350-1000 because of concerns orders because the lead time for going to happen?” And my answer
around the engine. Can you give delivery is far so long. And to be has always been the same. There’s
us some detail of issue? quite honest, yes, we have to face plenty to go around, because what
the bumps in the road with regards was happening in the global econ-
It needs to stay on the wing for a to what the manufacturers can do, omy then, if you roll back before
minimum of two and half thousand face possible delays. Don’t forget, the crash of 2008, 2009, there was
cycles and right now it’s doing a we have a new airframe, a new a high level of insanity. Everybody
quarter of that. Four or five hundred engine on this, so we’re not out was on the move; the whole place
hours on wing is not doing the job. of the woods at all with regards to was transformed. So, I never
And if it can do 2500 cycles at a entry into service. But in the end, doubted then that that would be the
maintenance cost per hour that is if we are going to map out what case. Now, what’s happened since
okay with us, then that would be the airline is going to do over the then, we’ve gone through 2008,
all right. If the engine was doing next 50 to 20 years, those orders 2009, we’ve had our bumps in the
what we want it to do, and Rolls are going to have to be placed. I’m road. And what I’m seeing now is
Royce know what we want then kind of more confident now on the that the Middle East is becoming
it [A350-1000] would re-enter the 777-9 that certainly Boeing will get very much an economic epicentre of
mix of assessment for our fleet. I that. After all, it will be five and a the planet at the moment. One thing
think if we were to buy the engine half years later, so there are kind of has surprised us, is the sustained
in its existing state the maintenance no excuses for that. I’m reassured tsunami of demand that came out
costs per hour would well more than by the head of GE that the General after COVID. And that seems to
double because of consequential Electric engine on them, the GEnx be still in place at the moment. I
costs that we would face. engine will be good to go and meet still fall back to what I believe to
all the contract specs. So, on the be the essence of the model that
Q In the past, you expressed basis of that, there’s a large amount we have constructed here. We are
concern about the timelines of of trust in placing those orders. an international airline based in a
the 777X order. So, what has super hub, based in Dubai, which
changed? Q Are you concerned about happens to be an enormously
increased competition in the powerful magnet anyway, in its own
Well, I think it’s driven by the region? right, and continues to grow. So,
longevity of the existing fleet. The there’s an awful lot of activity going
777-300ER, can’t go on forever. When Qatar Airways was formed, on in Dubai and in the UAE and Abu
And we know the A380 has a finite and broke away from Gulf Air, it Dhabi, which is attracting people.
timeline, so it’s not producing any- copied and pasted our business
more. And we, irrespective of the model. Etihad did the same thing Q The global supply chain is
difficulties of getting these aircraft and everybody says to me, “Well, till significantly disrupted. Your

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