Emirates Airline, a global enabler of business and trade, has announced an historic $9.2 billion (€8.7bn) deal with Rolls-Royce for Trent 900 engines and a long-term Total Care package.
The engines will be used to power 50 Airbus A380s ordered at the Dubai Air Show, which will begin entering service in 2016.
The deal, which is the largest ever for Rolls-Royce and one of the largest ever export orders for a United Kingdom-based company, is part of Emirates’ ongoing investment into the UK and Europe.
The partnership marks a significant milestone for aviation manufacturing in the region, securing jobs across Rolls-Royce’s supply chain, from Bristol to Scotland.
It will further support trade ties between the UK and the United Arab Emirates, building on the estimated $13.4 billion (€12.7bn) of bilateral trade recorded in 2013.
According to Tim Clark, president, Emirates Airline, “Rolls-Royce is a key partner for Emirates and we have been impressed with its commitment to continual improvements in the economic and operational performance of the Trent 900. These improvements have been decisive factors in our selection of the product for 50 of our A380s.
“Today’s announcement is significant not only because it cements the partnership between Emirates and Rolls-Royce, but also because of the large and sustained economic impact that this will have on aviation manufacturing in the UK and Europe,” he said.
Speaking on the development, John Richton, CEO, Rolls-Royce, said: “The success of Emirates over the last thirty years has been extraordinary. Rolls-Royce has been proud to have been part of this success, powering Emirates aircraft since 1996. We are delighted that Emirates has again placed its trust in our technology, with the biggest order in our history.
Also speaking, Fabrice Brégier, Airbus president, said: “This year we are celebrating the 10th anniversary year of the A380’s first flight and we would like to congratulate Emirates for continuing to place the A380 at the centre of their future growth plans. This is exactly what this remarkable aircraft was designed for; helping leading worldwide airlines such as Emirates to develop and grow profitably.
“As we continue to develop innovative solutions to further improve its already unbeatable economics, we see a long and bright future for the A380, which remains the best solution for enabling air traffic to grow.”
Emirates’ investment in the Airbus A380 programme has had a significant impact on the UK and wider European economies.
A recent Frontier Economics report identified that in 2013/14 Emirates’ investment in the A380 created 7,000 UK jobs, equating to a $630 million (€595m) Gross Domestic Production contribution.
Across the EU, Emirates’ 140 A380 orders are estimated to have supported 41,000 jobs, equivalent to a massive $3.6 billion (€3.4bn) GDP.
SADE WILLIAMS
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