Emirates Isn’t Happy With A350 Engines: What Went Wrong?

At the 2023 Dubai Airshow, Emirates said it remained unhappy with the Rolls-Royce engines featured on the A350-1000.

Engine Concerns By Emirates

Emirates President Sir Tim Clark is known for openly sharing his views on aircraft programs and companies.

On the sidelines of the 2023 Dubai Airshow, Clark said that the engine featured on the A350-1000, the Trent XWB-97, isn’t doing what the company wants.

As a result, the president said it wouldn’t place an order until improvements were visible or the company and Airbus could agree on them for the popular higher-capacity variant of the A350 program.

Emirates already has a solid commitment for the A350-900, with deliveries expected to commence next year. However, with over 200 aircraft in service, the airline is reviewing its future fleet.

As a result, many see the potential inclusion of the A350-1000 as a natural progression from its existing commitment.

What Emirates Wants Guarantees On Improvement

However, Emirates requests certain guarantees before committing to the A350-1000, primarily concerning the engine rather than the plane itself.

The company says it wants a guarantee of up to 2,500 wing cycles for the engine and a maintenance cost per hour that works for the company.

But before the airline makes any commitment, it wants the engine manufacturer to ensure it can meet the airline’s requests. While there are no concerns about the engine powering the A350-900, the A350-1000 is currently described as unsuitable.

While improving the engine is a natural part of the company’s development, it believes Emirates’ stance is harsh.

Could An Order Still Come Soon?

Airinsight reports that Emirates and Airbus discussed an A350-1000 order after Day 3 of the 2023 Dubai Airshow.

Ultimately, this highlights that not everything said publicly is final, and executives can easily leverage their disapproval to get what they want.

UPDATE: On Day 4 of the 2023 Dubai Airshow, Emirates announced a deal for 15 additional Airbus A350s, notably omitting the A350-1000.

Talk Of Engine Improvements For A380 Too

Emirates isn’t new to discussions about enhanced engine performance, with persistent talk of a new engine option for the A380.

The airline believes improving the A380’s engines would significantly cut costs and improve operations of its flagship.

With further development at engine manufacturers, implementing this technology on the A380 base could be a game changer for the airline’s operations.

However, Airbus has remained standoffish, and following the A380 programme closure and the end of production, it isn’t keen to launch this endeavour.

As part of its commitments to the A350-1000, A350-900, 787, and 777X, Emirates also understands it cannot keep the A380 flying forever. If no adequate double-decker replacement emerges, it’ll need to look elsewhere.