Emirates Airline 'frustrated' at aircraft shortage due to manufacturer delays
Executives at the Middle East’s largest airline have frequently expressed their dismay over delays and uncertainty around the delivery of the Boeing 777-9X jets.
The United Arab Emirates' flagship airline carrier, Emirates, is "frustrated" at the shortage of planes as the company enters an “expansionist” phase, the carrier’s boss said Wednesday, adding that it would have a fleet of 85 Boeing 777-9X widebody jets if the manufacturer had been able to deliver the aircraft on time.
"We are expansionists, as you know. And we've had our wings clipped," Emirates President Tim Clark told reporters at an event marking the delivery of Emirates' first Airbus A350 aircraft.
Emirates, the Middle East’s largest airline, has frequently expressed its dismay over delays and uncertainty around the delivery of the 777-9X jets, which were made worse by strikes by Boeing factory workers that lasted for several weeks.
But Clark said he was hopeful that the US manufacturer's recent $21 billion capital injection and conclusion of the strikes would mean it would resolve its production and development issues in the coming months.
