Sir Tim Clark: Emirates to spend $5bn on refitting aircraft
The engineering groups are working at a pace to get these aircraft turned around as quickly as possible
Dubai-based carrier Emirates will spend around $5bn on refitting 220 of its aircraft in order to sustain its network, President Tim Clark said on Wednesday, as the industry struggles with delivery delays for newer jets.
“We have no choice,” Clark told reporters. “This one is the only way we could sustain the network, grow the network.”
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Other airlines are also upgrading their airplanes, including Air India, which is working on refitting its existing fleet in an effort to maintain routes and upgrade the quality of the customer experience.
Clark said Emirates always looks to be at the lead of product development but has had to compromise and take matters into its own hands given delays from plane manufacturers.
“The engineering groups are working at a pace to get these aircraft turned around as quickly as possible. We have most of the parts now that we need to do it,” Clark told reporters.
Clark, who has been an outspoken critic of Boeing since the door blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight last year, said he had yet to meet Boeing’s new CEO Kelly Ortberg and that he wasn’t certain of changes in the delivery schedule.
He added that the airline is not optimistic about Boeing deliveries in October of 2025 and that it’s not sure when it’ll meet production ramp-up requirements.
