Media Release
17 October 2005
Emirates Completes Its Entire Order of Airbus A340-500s
Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline equipped with one of the most modern fleets in the world, has received
its entire order of Airbus A340-500s with the arrival of its tenth A340-500 aircraft.
Emirates has invested close to US$2 billion for the acquisition of its A340-500 fleet. The financing has been obtained
from well diversified sources comprising of 29 per cent from European banks, 10 per cent from Islamic sources, 24 per
cent from commercial banks within the GCC and 37 per cent from commercial banks outside the GCC - a substantial portion
of which came from banks in Japan and China.
Out of New Zealand, the A340-500s operate on two of Emirates' four daily services, flying the Auckland-Melbourne-Dubai
and Christchurch-Sydney-Dubai routes.
Emirates' Group Chairman, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, said: "The presence of longer range aircraft
in our fleet reflects our business strategy, which focuses on medium and long-haul routes.
Sheikh Ahmed added: "The quantum leap for Emirates came when it became the first airline in the world to operate the
ultra-long range Airbus A340-500. The world's longest-range, large passenger jet in service, the Airbus A340-500 powered
by four Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines is able to fly between any two places on the globe with no more than a single
stop."
Apart from Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland and Christchurch, the airline operates its Airbus A340-500s to Osaka and New
York. The introduction of the tenth A340-500 aircraft will allow Emirates to operate its second daily service to New
York from November 16.
Emirates' fleet currently stands at 81 aircraft and comprises 29 Airbus A330-200s, 12 Boeing 777-300s, nine Boeing
777-200s, ten Airbus 340-500s, eight A340-300s, five Boeing 777-300ERs, one Airbus A310, one Airbus A310F and six Boeing
747 freighters.
The airline's impressive order book worth almost US$30 billion in list prices consists of orders for 92 aircraft,
comprising 45 Airbus A380-800s (including two A380Fs), 25 Boeing 777-300ERs (plus nine options), two A310-300Fs and 20
Airbus A340-600 Higher Gross Weight aircraft.
ENDS