Emirates orders 36 more A380 aircraft worth $16 bln

Dubai-based Emirates airline has signed a contract for 36 additional Airbus A380 aircraft at a value of $16 billion, firming up its memorandum of understanding (MoU) that was announced in January.

The deliveries for the order, of 20 additional A380 aircraft and 16 options, are expected to begin in 2020, the airline said in a statement on Sunday.

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 program to 178 aircraft, worth over $60 billion.

Emirates’ A380 fleet operates both GE and Rolls-Royce engines, and the airline is evaluating engine options for its latest A380 order.

Earlier, Airbus had said it would stop the production of the A380 if it failed to secure a deal from Emirates.