Emirates is unhappy with the long delays to Boeing's 777X wide-body programme and expects the US plane maker's new management to fix the issues, the airline's chief executive has said.
The airline has received assurances from Boeing that it will address the issue, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, chairman and chief executive of Emirates airline and Group, told reporters during the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai on Tuesday.
"I am not happy. I hope that the new management today will put all the effort to fix the delivery of Boeing's 777X. I met with the management some time ago and they promised to do their best to fix it," he said.
Uncertainty over the delivery date of the 777X jets is "putting a lot of pressure" on the airline's seat capacity and resulted in its multibillion-dollar retrofit programme to upgrade the interiors of older aircraft to keep them in service for longer, he said.
The certification of Boeing's 777X aircraft is now expected to take place in the first quarter of 2025, he said.
Emirates is the largest customer of Boeing's 777X, which will be the aviation industry's biggest twin-engine jet when it enters into service. The plane has been delayed by about five years due to problems including certification hold-ups.
At the Dubai Airshow in November, Emirates signed a deal for firm orders for 55 additional Boeing 777-9s and 35 Boeing 777-8s. This took the airline’s 777X order book to a total of 205 jets.
Out of its previous order of 115 Boeing 777Xs, the first 777-9 is expected to join Emirates’ fleet in 2025.
On Tuesday, Emirates said it will completely refurbish an additional 43 Airbus A380s and 28 Boeing 777 aircraft, expanding its retrofit programme to 191 jets.
The initial plan had called for 120 planes – 67 Airbus A380s and 53 Boeing 777s – to undergo full refurbishment.
The airline is topping up its multibillion-dollar investment in the retrofit programme to prolong the lifetime of its older twin-aisle aircraft amid long delays to the 777X programme.
Emirates' move to DWC
Emirates is expected to move its operations to the new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) in 2034 and "it will be in one go", Sheikh Ahmed said on Tuesday.
Emirates, the world's largest airline by international traffic, has a fleet of 260 planes and carried 43.6 million passengers in its last fiscal year, making the move a major undertaking.
"I think you will wake up one day and see the terminal is open, it is tested and you will see your Emirates flight from Al Maktoum [airport]," he said.
Last month, Dubai said it approved designs for a new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International and began construction at a cost of Dh128 billion ($34.8 billion).
Sheikh Ahmed said he was "not worried" about the financing for the mega-project.
"A lot of companies, locally and internationally, will be very keen on financing this project, from [the] baggage-handling system to parking to the terminal [building]," he said.
The latest announcement of the new terminal comes after Dubai had set out an earlier plan in 2014 for a $33 billion expansion of DWC in phases.
However, Sheikh Ahmed said he was confident the new terminal project will proceed as scheduled, as domestic airlines Emirates and Flydubai require an airport with a larger capacity to accommodate their future growth plans and large aircraft deliveries.
"We are confident that without this airport, Dubai will be going backward ... having all those aircraft coming to the fleet, they are signed orders, [means] I need gates and parking," he said.
In a separate panel on Tuesday at the Arabian Travel Market, Paul Griffiths, the chief executive of Dubai Airports, said the industry's shift towards smaller planes would change the aviation landscape significantly. Middle Eastern airports that previously could not sustain long-haul services will be connected directly to major hubs such as Dubai, he said.
This will lead to an increase in the number of destinations served by Dubai, potentially exceeding 300 cities, he said.
“The majority of the growth is going to be [in] single-aisle smaller aeroplanes because the engine and airframe technology has moved on so much that the economics of those aircraft are a bit better than the economics of their larger cousins,” Mr Griffiths said.
“What it means is that regional airports that haven't sustained long-haul service will now be connected directly to major hubs like Dubai. So you'll see a plethora of destinations. I think we'll probably get to over 300 cities that are served directly.”
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The five pillars of Islam
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Andy Murray - hip
Novak Djokovic - elbow
Roger Federer - back
Stan Wawrinka - knee
Kei Nishikori - wrist
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
The years Ramadan fell in May
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
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Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
