Emirates has given the Airbus A380 a lifeline when it finally ordered 36 more of the super-sized jets.
The deal worth around £11.5bn came just days after outgoing Airbus sales chief John Leahy said that the A380 project was dead if Emirates didn’t place the order that was expected to come at the Dubai Air Show in 2017.
Emirates is the largest operator of the Airbus A380 with 101 in service currently with 41 on order. The new deal comprises of a firm order for 20, with options to buy a further 16. With deliveries beginning in 2020.
Airbus has slowed production of the A380, parts of which are made in Broughton, North Wales and Bristol, England, down to 12 aircraft in 2018 but the new deal guarantees production for at least 10 years when Airbus is hopeful the aviation sector may have improved by then, prompting a resurgence for the super-jumbo as airports around the world become more congested.