Emirates places further orders at Farnborough in excess of US$1.13 billion

On the second day of Farnborough International Air Show 2004, Emirates signed a host of agreements worth more than US$1.13 billion, ranging from systems and suites to simulators, on the heels of the first day's order for 13 Boeing aircraft worth US$2.96 billion.

The contracts were signed in Farnborough by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Emirates' Chairman.

The airline signed an agreement with Matsushita Avionics Systems Corporation (MAS) for the eX2 inflight entertainment system, which includes interactive audio, video, games, communication and connectivity support, for the airline's new Airbus fleet including A380-800 double-deckers and A340-600HGWs.

The agreement also includes new systems for existing and other new aircraft on order, making MAS the sole supplier of inflight entertainment systems to the Emirates fleet which will total 169 by 2012. The majority of the airline's fleet already offer MAS' inflight entertainment systems, including the brand-new A340-500 aircraft. Emirates' 43 passenger A380s are expected to start entering the fleet from October 2006 and the 20 A340-600s from June 2007.

The overall value of the order is approximately US$1 billion of which up to 30 per cent will be invested in manufacturing and digital media facilities in Dubai.

Emirates has also inked an US$80 million deal with B/E Aerospace Inc., the world's leading manufacturer of aircraft cabin interior products, ordering First Class Suites for its fleet of A380-800s. 

The agreement means that B/E will design, manufacture and deliver First Class Suites for all 31 of Emirates' A380s designed in a three-class configuration, out of its total order for 43 passenger aircraft. Each aircraft's First Class cabin will house 14 suites in a 1-2-1 configuration.

The avant-garde blueprint for the seats is the brainchild of Emirates' in-house design team, in collaboration with the renowned French designer Jacques Pierrejean, and is based largely on the First Class Suites currently installed in its innovative A340-500 aircraft.

Some of the features of the First Class seats (Mini-Suite) include: private wardrobes, electrically controlled doors, seats upholstered in leather with built-in massage options, touch screen technology, large personal interactive LCD screens, vanity tables, mini-bars and much more.

Robert Khoury, President and Chief Executive Officer at B/E Aerospace said: "We are confident that Emirates' First Class Mini-Suite will establish a new standard for luxury long-haul first class service."

The third agreement signed today was Emirates' contract with CAE of Montreal for three full-flight simulators to support the airline's flight training requirements for its new fleet of Airbus aircraft. The deal, valued at some C$65 million (US$50 million) at list prices, is for two A380-800 and one A340-600 full-flight simulators.

The three simulators will be installed at the Emirates Aviation College in Dubai by mid-2006, in preparation for the delivery of the new additions to the fleet.

Emirates has already purchased five CAE full-flight simulators for its flight crew training. Under the terms of the new agreement, CAE will become the airline's exclusive provider of full-flight simulators for 10 years.

At the signing, Emirates-CAE Flight Training (ECFT) also announced the expansion of its world-wide customer base. The agreements, worth some C$7 million (US$5 million), are with Deerjet, the largest corporate aircraft operator in China; Jet 2000 Business Jets, a Moscow-based aircraft management company; Presidential Air Fleet of Nigeria; Ford Air, located in Essex, UK; MEA; and Air Astana, the national carrier of Kazakhstan.

Emirates has become the launch customer for Evans & Sutherland's (E&S) complete visual systems for its newly-ordered A380 and A340-600 full-flight simulators from CAE.

The simulators will be fitted with Evans & Sutherland's EP-1000CT image generator and the new ultra-high resolution LaserWide(tm) projectors. The contract, worth approximately US$5 million, also includes upgrades to the college's existing Boeing 777 and A330/340 simulators.

"By becoming our first LaserWide customer, Emirates continues to demonstrate its commitment to technological leadership in training simulation," said David Rushton Managing Director of Evans & Sutherland. "With the installation of these new projectors and the EP-1000CT image generators, Emirates will have the most advanced training simulation that the industry can offer."

The contract represents the first sale of LaserWide, E&S's revolutionary laser projector for civil aviation training. The projector, which delivers unprecedented colour and contrast in addition to near-eye-limited resolution, offers dramatic reductions in projector life cycle costs by eliminating the consumables and multi-projector calibrations associated with traditional wide projection systems.