Emirates Airline has received its 100th passenger aircraft, which brings its all wide- body fleet to a total of 111 aircraft, including 11 freighters.
The airline will become the largest Boeing 777 operator in the world, with 53 Boeing 777s, two Boeing 777-200LRs, nine 777-200s, 12 777-300s, 30 777-300ERs and another 45 of this type of aircraft on order. Emirates also inked $34.9bn worth of aircraft orders at this week's Dubai Air Show.
The latest Boeing 777-300ER offers eight private suites in first class, 42 lie-flat massage seats in business and 304 economy passengers, while all classes have digital widescreen with 1,000 channels on demand, using personal digital TV screens.
”Back in 2003, when Emirates had 52 aircraft in our fleet, our plan was to grow to 100 aircraft by 2010,” said Emirates Airline, chairman and chief executive, HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum.
”We”ve reached that mark three years early, but this is not enough. That was based on predictions that Dubai will have six million visitors by 2010.”
”Visitors to Dubai last year already exceeded six million, and the new goal is 15 million tourists by 2012.”
The airline is investing hundreds of millions of dollars to introduce the latest in-flight products across its existing and future long-haul fleet.