Airbus and Emirates Airline have signed a purchase agreement for 50 A350-900s - Airbus’ newest generation widebody aircraft.
The order worth £12.5bn was signed at Dubai Airshow 2019 by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum and Guillaume Faury, Airbus Chief Executive Officer.
Wings for the plane are made at Airbus Broughton in North Wales while the engines will be made by Rolls-Royce in Derby.
Guillaume Faury, Airbus chief executive officer, said: "We are honoured by Emirates’ strong vote of confidence in our newest widebody aircraft, taking our partnership to the next level. The A350 will bring unbeatable economics and environmental benefits to their fleet.
"We look forward to seeing the A350 flying in Emirates colours.”
HH Sheikh Ahmed said: “Today, we are pleased to sign a firm order for 50 A350 XWBs, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.
"This follows a thorough review of various aircraft options and of our own fleet plans. It is Emirates’ long-standing strategy to invest in modern and efficient aircraft, and we are confident in the performance of the A350 XWB.
“Complementing our A380s and 777s, the A350s will give us added operational flexibility in terms of capacity, range and deployment. In effect, we are strengthening our business model to provide efficient and comfortable air transport services to, and through, our Dubai hub.”
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The A350 XWB offers by design unrivalled operational flexibility and efficiency for all market segments - up to ultra-long haul (17,900km).
Its Airspace by Airbus cabin is the quietest of any twin-aisle aircraft and offers passengers and crews the most modern in-flight flying experience.
The aircraft features the latest aerodynamic design, a carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.
Together, these latest technologies result in 25% lower operating costs, as well as 25% reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions compared with previous-generation competing aircraft.