Emirates Selects GE-PW Engine Alliance to power 23 A380 jumbo jets

The contract award calls for the GE-PW Engine Alliance to supply 92 installed and 9 spare GP7200 engines to power a fleet of 21 A380s purchased by Emirates, as well as two A380 aircraft leased from International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC). The delivery of these A380 aircraft, which will be configured for 550 passengers, begins in 2009.

The value of the engine contract to the Engine Alliance for the GP7200 engines purchased by Emirates for this follow-on A380 aircraft order exceeds $1.5 billion. This latest contract follows Emirates' 2002 announcement to purchase GP7200 engines for 22 A380 aircraft. Delivery of those aircraft begins in September 2006.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Emirates, said: "We are pleased to increase our business relationship with the Engine Alliance and are confident in its commitment to deliver an engine that will meet the airline's expectations."

Lloyd Thompson, President of the Engine Alliance, said, "We are delighted to have won the follow-on engine contract for the A380 selection and appreciate Emirates' confidence in our GP7200 engine."

One of the world's fastest growing airlines, Emirates is the largest customer for the Airbus A380, as well as for the Engine Alliance's GP7200 engine. In combining the 45 A380 aircraft being acquired by the airline, Emirates will have a total of 199 GP7200 engines valued at more than $3 billion. Emirates will also be the first airline to put the engine into service.

Sheikh Ahmed added: "Emirates is fully committed to participate during the design and development of the engine. This working together will provide a great advantage to both the airline as well as the manufacturer."

Thompson added: "Emirates' continuous feedback is very valuable in the development phase of the GP7200, and we are very pleased to be working with an airline like Emirates."

When the A380 enters Emirates' fleet in 2006, the airline anticipates flying more than twice as many passengers as today, with the A380 operating from Dubai to Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America.

The GP7200 engine is the best-selling engine for the A380, having been selected for 67 aircraft on firm order of the 110 aircraft ordered with engines specified. The A380 aircraft orders placed by Emirates, Air France, FedEx, and ILFC result in firm orders with the Engine Alliance for approximately 300 GP7200 engines.

2003 has been a year of technology validation and risk-reduction testing of various GP7200 components. 2004 will be a key year for validation testing of the first full engine and early stages of certification testing, leading to the first flights of the GP7200 on GE's 747 Flying Testbed aircraft. GP7200 certification by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency is targeted for mid-2005.