Aerospace industry buoyed by £11.5bn super-jumbo order

The UK’s aerospace sector has received a major boost after airline Emirates announced an £11.5bn order for up to 36 new Airbus A380s.

The deal will cause a sigh of relief for an already under pressure supply chain which has had the jitters for some time over fears the super-jumbo programme could be shelved or even scrapped altogether due to a lack of demand from the airlines.

However, engine supplier Rolls-Royce has yet to learn if its engines will power the aircraft.

Emirates has placed 20 firm orders with 16 options. The airline’s A380 fleet operates both GE and Rolls-Royce engines, and the company said it was evaluating which units would power its latest order.

The additional A380s will be delivered to Emirates from 2020 onwards. Together with the airline’s 101-strong A380 fleet and its current order backlog for 41 aircraft, this new order brings Emirates’ commitment to the A380 programme to 178 aircraft.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive, Emirates Airline, said: “We’ve made no secret of the fact that the A380 has been a success for Emirates. Our customers love it, and we’ve been able to deploy it on different missions across our network, giving us flexibility in terms of range and passenger mix.

“Some of the new A380s we’ve just ordered will be used as fleet replacements. This order will provide stability to the A380 production line. We will continue to work closely with Airbus to further enhance the aircraft and onboard product, so as to offer our passengers the best possible experience. The beauty of this aircraft is that the technology and real estate on board gives us plenty of room to do something different with the interiors.”

John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer Customers, Airbus Commercial Aircraft, added: “This aircraft has contributed enormously to Emirates’ growth and success since 2008 and we are delighted that it will continue to do so.

“This new order underscores Airbus’ commitment to produce the A380 at least for another10 years. I’m personally convinced more orders will follow Emirates’ example and that this great aircraft will be built well into the 2030s.”

Hundreds of aerospace companies around the UK produce components which are used in the manufacture of the airliners.