Emirates wants an even Bigger Airplane to Replace A380

Sir Tim Clark is worried about the future and wants to see a replacement for the super jumbo jet built.

Clark has supported the A380 from the beginning. Half of all A380s were purchased by the carrier. 74 of the A380s in the strong fleet of 265 are active in service at any one time.

The entire fleet of A380s will return to the air in the spring of 2023. In an exclusive interview with CNN Travel, President Tim Clark expressed his hope that the A380 will eventually be built.

“The math tells you that you need a big unit, much bigger than we’re getting at the moment.”

Sir Tim Clark, Emirates President

I was thinking about waiting and seeing. Clark told CNN Travel that they haven't had a seat on any of the flights since October of last year.

It would only take 10 to 15 years for the global demand to surge due to the swine flu. Many A380s will be phased out by the mid-2030s so there might not be a suitable aircraft for the job. The A380 fleet will be retired by the middle of the 20th century.

“Even with multiple 787s and A350s all busy flying around the world, I still don’t get how you will pick up that growth curve,”

Sir Tim Clark, Emirates President

He said that high ticket prices are inevitable because supply will be suppressed.

Open Fan Engine

Clark came up with an idea for a new jumbo jet with open fan engines and lightweight materials.

Imagine a wing and a body part made of plastic. Imagine an engine that will give you a 20 to 25% improvement over what you have now. Clark says that a lighter aircraft, which is more fuel efficient, is what you get.

At the airshow earlier this year, the two companies collaborated to test the open fan engine architecture on the A380. The flight test demonstrator is a part of the revolutionary innovation for sustainable engine demonstration programme.

The "open fan" engine flight test campaign is planned to be performed in the second half of this decade from the Toulouse facility. It will be tested on a plane.

“New propulsion technologies will play an important role in achieving aviation’s net-zero objectives, along with new aircraft designs and sustainable energy sources.”

Sabine Klauke, Airbus Chief Technical Officer

Future Long-Haul Leaders

The biggest planes currently in production are the A350-1000 and the upcoming 777-9, which can accommodate over 400 people in a standard configuration.

Clark doesn't think these planes are big enough to replace the A380 in the fleet. There are currently 50 A350-900s and 115 Boeing 777Xs in the possession of the airline.

The biggest one will be the 777-9, which will seat 368 people against 484 on the A380s with our new premium economy. Clark says that you get where he is coming from.

Clark stated that he had expressed his desire for a new jumbo plane many times. I've spoken to the company a number of times. I think they are starting to take it more seriously but at the moment they are focused on their single-aisle planes and the A350 line.

Emirates Massive Fleet Upgrade

The project to retrofit the latest cabin interiors on 120 A380s and Boeing CHRONICLES was announced recently. A new menu will include Dom Perignon in first class.

From the start of the project to the end, the carrier wants to retrofit four aircraft every month. The upgraded A380s will under grow at first. The A380s will be refreshed and returned to service. There were trials on the A380. Every action was mapped out during the trial.

“This will see nearly 4,000 brand new Premium Economy seats installed, 728 First Class suites refurbished and over 5,000 Business Class seats upgraded to a new style and design when the project is complete in April 2025.”

Emirates

Six of the carrier's A380s have the new premium economy cabin. The A380s have flown to several places. The premium economy product will be available for travelers to and from New Zealand. The new flights will start in December.

Is there more A380s in service? Post-pandemic travel demands are prompting the return of the A380 superjumbo. Global airlines are looking to add capacity by bringing in the jumbos, even though the superjumbos have fallen out of favor.

It was in the A380.

In the wake of the coronaviruses disaster, Sir Tim Clark believes that the two largest aircraft are over. A number of factors have made four-engined wide-bodies less popular with airlines.

It was in "747".

The Premium Economy seat is a departure from the traditional 3-class model of the A380. The new seat is one of a number of design changes that are being made in the new A380 cabin. The new premium economy...

It was in the A380.