Emirates, UAE's leading airline, will receive the first of the six Airbus A380s early next week, with a second arriving in late December and the remaining planes due for handover in 2010.

 

These six aircraft will form part of the 53 Airbus A380 aircraft that Emirates currently has on firm order.

"Emirates remains in a secure financial position despite the global financial crisis," said Tim Clark, President, Emirates Airline.

"We have never encountered difficulties in obtaining finance for our aircraft acquisition programme, with both international and regional banks comfortable with our financial stability," he said.

The financing for these six aircraft was arranged and funded under two separate finance agreements.

The first agreement, covering three A380 aircraft, has been undertaken with Citibank, backed by a guarantee from the European Export Credit Agencies (ECAs). A second financing agreement has been arranged through Doric Asset Finance and covers the remaining three A380 aircraft.

The delivery of the A380 aircraft early next week will bring Emirates' A380 fleet to six with the aircraft due for deployment on the Seoul, Korea route from December 14.

Later this month Emirates will also receive its seventh A380, scheduled to service the Dubai - Paris route three times per week from December 29, becoming daily from January 17, 2010.