Carrier Averages One New Plane Per Month

Dubai-based carrier Emirates received its 100th passenger aircraft recently, a long-range Boeing 777-300ER which brings its all wide-body fleet to a total of 111 aircraft, including 11 freighters.

The fast-expanding fleet, which adds one new aircraft per month on average, now comprises 53 Boeing 777s: two Boeing 777-200LRs, nine 777-200s, 12 777-300s, and 30 777-300ERs. Emirates currently operates Boeing 777-300ERs on the two non-stop New York-Dubai flights and will fly a new Boeing 777-200LR on its new non-stop service from Houston to Dubai, launching December 3.

The airline is set to become the largest Boeing 777 operator in the world with another 45 of this aircraft type on order.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group said: "Back in 2003, when Emirates had 52 aircraft in our fleet, our plan was to grow to 100 aircraft by 2010. We’ve reached that mark three years early, but this is not enough. That was based on predictions that Dubai will have six million visitors by 2010. Visitors to Dubai last year already exceeded six million, and the new goal is 15 million tourists by 2012. Emirates has redrawn our growth plans accordingly."

Emirates’ latest Boeing 777-300ER offers eight luxurious private suites in First Class, 42 lie-flat massage seats in Business, and seats for 304 Economy class passengers. The carrier's "ice" Digital Widescreen is offered in all classes of travel, with more than 1,000 channels of on-demand entertainment delivered on personal digital TV screens.

The airline is investing hundreds of millions of dollars to introduce the latest in-flight products across its existing and future long-haul fleet.

Emirates has 111 aircraft pending delivery, worth over US$ 30 billion. Its order book includes 55 Airbus A380s, 45 Boeing 777s and 11 Boeing 747 freighters.

FMI: www.emirates.com/usa