- The boss of Emirates thinks Airbus should make a new version of the double-decker Airbus A380.
- Tim Clark suggested new lighter materials and more fuel-efficient engines could make it more viable.
- “If we were to put $20 billion on the table for Airbus, they’d probably build it for us,” he told BI.
A revamped version of the Airbus A380 could get orders from several airlines, the president of Emirates told Business Insider.
Asked if he’d like Airbus to resume production of the superjumbo, Tim Clark replied, “Well, they know we do. I’ve given them the designs.”
The “compelling nature” of a four-engine plane remains “quite clear to many, many people,” he said.
Emirates is by far the largest operator of the double-decker plane, with a fleet of 118. Singapore Airlines is next with just 13.
Airbus ended production of the A380 in 2021 — 18 years after it began.
The four-engined plane received 251 orders from 14 customers, with many airlines wary of its high operating costs.
However, Clark suggested that a modernized version of the A380 could be up to 25% more fuel efficient.
He pointed to using lighter and more aerodynamic materials, as well as new engines with UltraFan technology being developed by Rolls-Royce.
Clark said the Airbus A380 is “probably the most profitable asset we’ve got,” while a more fuel-efficient version would be cheaper to operate as well as more environmentally friendly.
“I believe there is a case,” Clark told BI. “The risk-averse nature of my peer group, CEOs, and boards is probably a major inhibitor to that But if we were to put $20 billion on the table for Airbus, they’d probably build it for us.”
Airbus did not respond to a request for comment from BI.
While some airlines, such as Air France and Thai Airways, retired their A380s during the pandemic, the superjumbo has since seen a resurgence.
Lufthansa brought eight of its 14 out of retirement, and Etihad has reactivated six A380s. Global Airlines, a British startup, has acquired one formerly used by China Southern Airlines and hopes to launch commercial flights between London and New York this year.
The A380 has been popular with passengers because its size offers more comfort, and it’s quieter than other wide-body jets, especially when seated on the upper deck.
Its mammoth size has also allowed airlines to install luxurious amenities, like Emirates’ bar and shower for first-class passengers.
But its huge capacity of about 500 passengers means it needs to be used on very popular routes. This works well for Emirates’ hub-and-spoke route model — connecting passengers to destinations around the world via Dubai — but less so for others. Airbus did not get any orders from airlines in North or South America, for example.
Capacity constraints
Yet, Clark thinks the A380 could be a solution as some major airports face constraints as demand for air travel keeps rising.
“If you look at the demand as it stands for all of us, not just Emirates, all of us today, there is a high-class problem in the making,” he said.
Clark pointed to increasing passenger numbers at New York’s JFK, Boston, Paris, Frankfurt, and London Heathrow — where a debate has been ongoing for many years about constructing a third runway to cope with demand.
“It’s a no-brainer for the aviation community, particularly in the airport world, to see the passengers getting off, say, an Emirates A380, 500 at a time into Heathrow —or join it, empty their pockets in the departure lounge or the fast food or the merchandising — rather than a slot occupied at 50 seats,” Clark said.
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