DUBAI – Emirates, the biggest international airline, is rattling rivals in Europe and Asia with a growth splurge that may be as game-changing for long-haul carriers as the expansion of Ryanair and Southwest Airlines.
The 25-year-old company is acquiring a fleet of 90 Airbus A380 aircraft with a total of 45,000 seats and operating costs the manufacturer says are 12 percent lower than Boeing’s latest 747. That poses a threat to European carriers that specialise in the same long-distance transfer traffic, British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh said.
Emirates’ latest order for 32 A380s worth US$11 billion ($15 billion), announced this month, will give it 70 more superjumbos than any other airline, funnelling price-sensitive passengers through its Dubai hub in a challenge to network carriers including Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and Singapore Airlines.
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