LOC13:44
10:44 GMT
PARIS, Jan 18 (KUNA) -- UAE carrier Emirates Airline on Thursday signed a massive USD 16 billion MOU with Europe's Airbus plane-maker for 36 of the giant A380 passenger planes, with deliveries to start in 2020, Airbus said in a statement.
Emirates has already placed orders for the large, two storey A380 and received its first plane in 2008 and has taken 100 planes so far as of November 2017, an airbus spokesman confirmed to KUNA.
The latest order is in two parts, with a firm commitment for 20 A380s, with an option for 16 more of the aircraft.
Airbus said that the value of the contract at list prices for the A380 is USD 16 billion but sometimes this can vary depending on training and spare parts and maintenance options and number of planes purchases.
The A380 has a range of 15,200 kilometres non-stop, and can carry 575 passengers in four classes in its normal configuration but more than 800 in the most economic configuration.
The news of the UAE order is welcome at Airbus and will guarantee production for the next 10 years for the A380 at a time when orders had fallen off.
So far, 222 of the giant carriers have been delivered to 13 airlines worldwide. (End)
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