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With this, Emirates has become the biggest stake
holder in the A380 programme, with a total order
of 90 of these super jumbos.
The agreement was signed on the opening day
ceremony at the Berlin Air Show by His Highness
Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and
Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group and
Tom Enders, Airbus President and CEO, and witnessed
by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other dignitaries.
Airbus declared the agreement as the largest
single order ever placed in the history of civil
aviation.
Overall, Airbus announced 67 aircraft sold during
the event.
Shaikh Ahmed said in a statement on the occasion:
This latest order, adding to 58 A380s previously
ordered, affi rms Emirates’ strategy to become
a world leading carrier and to further establish
Dubai as a central gateway to worldwide air travel.
The A380 is our fl agship in terms of passenger
comfort, innovation, operating and environmental
effi ciency and revenue generation.
Said Tom Enders: Emirates supported the development
of the A380 from the earliest days, a project
employing tens of thousands of Europe’s best people
and today’s increased order, is the best endorsement
I can imagine. On behalf of all of us at Airbus,
we thank Emirates for their support. The A380
is indeed a remarkable ecoeffi cient aircraft,
a profi t generator for airlines and a great flying
experience for passengers.
Emirates, the second largest airline in the world
in available seat kilometres, has 48 Airbus 380s,
70 Airbus 350s, 18 Boeing 777-300s and 7 Boeing
air freighters on order totaling 143 wide-body
aircraft worth more than $US 48 billion.
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