He confirmed that no aircraft can compete with the A380 in terms of capacity
Clark: «Emirates Airlines» occupies 30% of the first class seats globally
Tim Clark: "When the A380 retires from the airline's fleet, the variant in terms of size is the Boeing 777."
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The President of Emirates Airlines, Tim Clark, said that 85% of the airline's planes are equipped with first-class seats, noting that "Emirates Airlines" occupies 30% of the total first-class seats in the world.
Speaking on the sidelines of the IATA summit in Istanbul, Clark said he expects the airline's fleet of Airbus A380 aircraft to retire early next decade by 2032 or 2033.
"Although Emirates has dozens of other aircraft types, including the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777, none of these aircraft can compete with the A380 in terms of capacity and size," Clark said, noting that the airline currently has 120 of that model.
The Emirates President said: "We have six A380s operating on the Dubai-Heathrow route, with an occupancy rate of up to 95 per cent."
He explained that if the giant A380 aircraft retire from the carrier's fleet, the alternative in terms of size is the Boeing 777, noting that this will increase demand and raise ticket prices.
Clark reiterated his call for aircraft manufacturers to develop aircraft that are more environmentally friendly.
Clark said in an interview with Bloomberg TV last Tuesday that Emirates is close to placing a large order for 100 to 150 aircraft, as it prepares to replace its fleet of A380 aircraft.
He added that the company was "getting close to doing something" that would include buying more A350 and Boeing 777 aircraft, and "possibly" also a smaller Boeing 787 Dreamliner, stressing: "We will start making orders fairly soon."
The airline will seek to place orders for the period from 2027 to 2033 to commit to refurbishment, ahead of the replacement of the decommissioned A380.