Emirates signs £8bn deal for superjumbos

DUBAI-BASED Emirates airline has ordered another 32 A380 superjumbo jets from Airbus, giving the European aircraft manufacturer a boost as it strives to make financial gains on its giant plane.

The latest order, with a price of $11.5 billion (8bn), means Emirates has now signed up for 90 A380s. It said the planes would be delivered by 2017.

"This is the single largest 380 order ever," Airbus chief executive Tom Enders said after the deal was signed at the Berlin Air Show. The order was a "sign of confidence in the 380 and in Airbus".

The deal affirms Emirates' strategy to become a world leading carrier and to further establish Dubai as a central gateway to worldwide air travel, the airline's chairman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, said.