Dubai-based Emirates airline has ruled out buying Airbus A350-1000 jets until durability issues on its Rolls-Royce engine are ironed out.
Sir Tim Clark, Emirates’ president, said the fuel-efficient engine did not meet the Dubai government-owned carrier’s maintenance requirements. “We don’t buy aeroplanes that are defective,” he told reporters at the Dubai Airshow on Tuesday.
If Rolls-Royce makes technical adjustments to allow it to operate better in Emirates’ hot, dusty base of Dubai, the airline would consider purchasing up to 50 of the aircraft, he added. “Rolls-Royce knows what we want it to do and it would then re-enter the mix of assessment for our fleet plan,” he said.