Reuters - 45 minutes ago
DUBAI, June 5, - State-owned Emirates airline said on Thursday
it expected to take delivery of its first Airbus A380 double-decker
aircraft by July 28.
Emirates [EMAIR.UL], the largest A380 customer, with 58 orders
worth $18.8 billion, expects to receive five of the world's biggest
airliner by the end of March 2009, it said in a statement.
The airline will use its first A380 on routes from Dubai to New
York, London Heathrow and Sydney-Auckland, it said.
Singapore became the first airline to operate the A380 when it
entered service last October following an 18-month delay due to
production problems. It has since received four.
Airbus said in May it would deliver a total of 12 A380s instead
of 13 this year and 21 instead of 25 in 2009.
The ability to stick to this schedule is a key factor driving
the shares of parent EADS .