By November, Emirates will officially take possession of four Airbus A380s that the company has so far rental. These devices have been rented since 2013 in Doric Nimrod Air Three Limited, an investment company based in Guernsey. Rather than renewing this lease coming to an end, the company has chosen to Buy them for a total amount of $ 180 million, or 45 million per plane.
The company buys its own A380
In detail, each device is valued at 25 million dollars, a fraction of the Price of an A380 new at the time, the rest of the sum corresponding to technical costs linked to the restitution conditions. Emirates also provides for a complete refurbishment as part of a vast program to modernize its fleet. The first plane will be transferred at the end of August for maintenance operations outside Dubai airport.
This decision was made in a pure profitability logic. By becoming the owner, Emirates will be able to undertake structural or technical changes without having to go through a lessor. A very interesting lever for the company, which invests two billion dollars in the renovation of its cabins.
While Airbus ended the production of the A380 in 2021 and many operators – such as Air France or Malaysia Airlines – withdrew the plane from their fleets, Emirates is irreducible Gallic. With 123 units delivered in total, including 118 still in service, the Dubai company is by far the world’s largest user.
Far from backing up, Emirates even continues to extend the exploitation of the superjumbo, by reintroducing it on certain lines, such as Copenhagen last January. London, Sydney and New York remain flagship destinations for the mastodon with two bridges, prized for its high capacity and luxurious cabins – with bars, showers and private suites.
The president of the company, Tim Clark, assumes it completely: ” It is probably our most profitable assets ». He even works on a new version of the first class, which should be unveiled soon. “” As in a hotel, you have to know how to renew yourself “He said recently.
Emirates plans to continue to exploit the A380 until the late 2030s. Tim Clark even expressed the wish that Airbus is releasing a modernized, lighter and more economical model. But in the short term, the company is the only one in the world to believe in the potential of the quadriréactor, which was the symbol of a strategy focused on large hubs and massive flows of passengers.
The world of air is now turned to more sober bimosor aircraft. But Emirates takes another path. Its “star” model, centered on Dubai, requires planes capable of transporting a large number of passengers over long distances. And on this ground, the A380 remains the champion, according to the company.
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