Emirates Completes Entire Airbus A340-500 Order

Media Release

17 October 2005

Emirates Completes Its Entire Order of Airbus A340-500s

Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline equipped with one of the most modern fleets in the world, has received its entire order of Airbus A340-500s with the arrival of its tenth A340-500 aircraft.

Emirates has invested close to US$2 billion for the acquisition of its A340-500 fleet. The financing has been obtained from well diversified sources comprising of 29 per cent from European banks, 10 per cent from Islamic sources, 24 per cent from commercial banks within the GCC and 37 per cent from commercial banks outside the GCC - a substantial portion of which came from banks in Japan and China.

Out of New Zealand, the A340-500s operate on two of Emirates' four daily services, flying the Auckland-Melbourne-Dubai and Christchurch-Sydney-Dubai routes.

Emirates' Group Chairman, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, said: "The presence of longer range aircraft in our fleet reflects our business strategy, which focuses on medium and long-haul routes.

Sheikh Ahmed added: "The quantum leap for Emirates came when it became the first airline in the world to operate the ultra-long range Airbus A340-500. The world's longest-range, large passenger jet in service, the Airbus A340-500 powered by four Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines is able to fly between any two places on the globe with no more than a single stop."

Apart from Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland and Christchurch, the airline operates its Airbus A340-500s to Osaka and New York. The introduction of the tenth A340-500 aircraft will allow Emirates to operate its second daily service to New York from November 16.

Emirates' fleet currently stands at 81 aircraft and comprises 29 Airbus A330-200s, 12 Boeing 777-300s, nine Boeing 777-200s, ten Airbus 340-500s, eight A340-300s, five Boeing 777-300ERs, one Airbus A310, one Airbus A310F and six Boeing 747 freighters.

The airline's impressive order book worth almost US$30 billion in list prices consists of orders for 92 aircraft, comprising 45 Airbus A380-800s (including two A380Fs), 25 Boeing 777-300ERs (plus nine options), two A310-300Fs and 20 Airbus A340-600 Higher Gross Weight aircraft.

ENDS

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