Emirates Announces Airbus A380 Updates

Emirates is preparing to ‘fly better’ into the coming decades with its flagship Airbus A380 at the forefront of this.

The Dubai-based carrier signed a significant number of investments at the 2023 Dubai Airshow in preparation for the continued operation of the world’s largest passenger plane.

Collins Aerospace

To ensure its A380 stay reliable, Emirates has signed an agreement with Collins Aerospace for the long term.

Collins will support a main landing gear overhaul program for the Airbus A380 as part of this agreement.

Safran Landing Systems

Meanwhile, Safran Landing Systems is what Emirates sees as a company slated to provide essential nose landing gear services.

The fantastic MRO facilities, alongside a significant understanding of the industry, will aid Emirates in tailored support services.

Lufthansa Technik

Emirates says Lufthansa Technik will prove essential in offering additional C Checks in Manila for their A380s.

On top of this Lufthansa Technik’s base maintenance services will be provided to help enable Emirates to ensure their A380 fleet is up to date.

The signing of further main landing gear agreements have also been revealed.

Pratt & Whitney

Pratt and Whitney were selected for maintenance and support of the airlines PW980 Auxiliary Power Units.

This is the most powerful APU currently in commercial service and as such needs adequate hands to be able to service it.

OEMServices

An extension of a pre-existing agreement with OEM Services has been signed for ongoing component support.

OEMs relationship with Emirates spans 15 years and includes the key supply of parts, repair services and additional engineering support.

Honeywell

The Dubai based carrier has also announced Honeywell will provide wheels and carbon brakes for 116 A380 aircraft in the future.

C Checks Coming Soon

C checks are a routine part of the life of aircraft, and for the Airbus A380, Emirates will require units to undergo these checks shortly.

Emirates has signed agreements with Gameco, based in Guangzhou, and Haeco in Xiamen. These companies will be responsible for A380 C Checks as part of these agreements.

The C Checks are expected to occur in January and February of 2024 per the latest forecast.

Comments From Airline Executive

The A380 has been and will continue to be very much part of the Emirates story. Its size and capacity has allowed Emirates to unlock growth at some of the world’s busiest airports, opened new opportunities for travellers, and substantially raised standards for passenger comfort. Our continued commitment to and confidence in the A380 are why we’re investing heavily to keep the fleet in optimal shape and pristine condition. The A380 will remain core to our network and customer proposition for the next decade, and we want to ensure our fleet is in tip-top shape.

Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline

The Emirates A380 Fleet

Currently, the airline operates 95 in-service A380-800s, per the latest data from Cirium.

However, the carrier also has 26 units listed as in storage, bringing the total to 121.

Emirates’ fleet of Airbus A380s average an age of 8.6 years with the company being able to keep its fleet of A380s young by storing the oldest from the series.