Dubai – Mubasher: The preliminary deal between Emirates Airlines and Airbus to sell the former's 36 A380 jets for $16 billion failed a few minutes before the official signing ceremony.
Two top officials in Emirates Airlines informed Tom Enders, Airbus’ CEO, that the UAE-based company would not sign the deal, which threw the future of the largest jet in the world into question, according to Reuters.
The failure to sign the deal was too quick, leaving the Airbus public relations executives perplexed as they were about to celebrate the signing of the deal, the news agency added.
The unsigned deal will shed light on problems relevant to timing and trust that may deter its closing, informed sources told the international news agency.
Airbus suffers management confusion, as its sales chief officer John Leahy will retire in January.
Furthermore, Emirates’ president Tim Clark may resign sooner rather than later, which adds to the uncertainty around the A380 jetliners deal.
"One of the closest and most successful relations in aviation is looking bruised and throws up new complications for Airbus just as it struggles to maintain business as usual at a time when it faces British and French compliance probes," Reuters added.
On another note, “the first A380 to carry passengers, in 2007, was being mothballed in France just as Airbus was trying to cling on to an Emirates deal at last week’s show, after just 10 years in service with Singapore Airlines,” Reuters reported, noting that this overwhelmed Emirates' suppliers, as the airline tends to operate aircraft for 12 years, given that there is a possibility that about 20 of their A380 jets will exit the fleet to make room for new purchases.
Reuters revealed that A380 engine makers might charge more up-front or more in hourly service contracts, as the new engines may run only half of their life expectancy.
“I would think a revitalisation of the line would bring the big players together and say what can we all do to make this work, including propulsion,” Clark said, according to the international news agency.
