Emirates Signs For 20 Boeing 747-8F Freighters
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10 (Bernama) -- Emirates Airline today signed a contract to buy 10 Boeing 747-8Fs and announced purchase rights for a further 10.
In a statement here Monday, Dubai-based Emirates said the 20 freighter aircraft were worth an estimated US$5.6 billion.
The first 10 aircraft are scheduled for delivery in 2010.
The contract was signed in Dubai by Sheikh Ahmed Saeed Al-Maktoum, Emirates chairman and chief executive, and Ken Schultz, Boeing Commercial Airplanes sales director.
Sheikh Ahmed said the order for the 747-8Fs was essential in servicing its rapidly growing network of 28 freighter destinations.
"Our cargo operations currently also serve Emirates' 85 destinations as belly-hold space in our scheduled passenger services," he said.
The statement said the acquisition of the 747-8Fs would effectively meet Emirates SkyCargo's increasing requirement for additional capacity and operational flexibility and to take advantage of strong regional and international cargo markets.
"Air cargo traffic into, out of and within the Middle East accounted for 5.8 per cent of the world's tonnage and nearly five per cent of the world's revenue tonne-kilometres in 2005.
Emirates currently operates nine wide-bodied Boeing 747Fs and Airbus A310Fs, and also has on order for eight 777Fs.