Emirates in $3bn Airbus engine deal

Dubai’s Emirates airlines has announced a $3 billion contract to order engines from an alliance of US engine makers for its A-380 Airbus planes.

Dubai air show is the world's third largest

General Electric and Pratt and Whitney (GE-PW) Engine Alliance will supply 92 installed and nine spare GP7200 engines for 23 of its A-380 Airbuses, said the airline’s chairman Shaikh Ahmad bin Said al-Maktum on Monday. 
  
In February last year, Emirates signed a memorandum of understanding worth $1.5 billion with the American GE-PW Engine Alliance to supply 98 GP7200 engines for 22 of its A380s, delivery for which will begin in September 2006.
  
Delivery of the remaining A380s will begin in 2009, said Emirates.
  
However, Shaikh Ahmad said that the value of the follow-on order for the GP7200 engines will “exceed $1.5 billion”, and will bring the total value of Emirates’ contract with GE-PW to more than $3 billion. 
  
Emirates Airlines, an icon of Dubai’s ambition to become the Gulf’s leading transport and tourism hub, currently flies to 70 cities in 50 countries.
 
The GE-PW engine alliance is a 50-50 joint venture between GE Aircraft Engines and Pratt and Whitney, which was created in 1996 to develop, manufacture, sell and support engines for high capacity, long-haul aircraft.

Source: AFP