Emirates favors Boeing 747 freighter over A380

Emirates favors Boeing 747 freighter over A380    Emirates Airline on Monday finalized an order for 10 Boeing 747-8 freighter aircraft at a list price of $2.8 billion, with an option for 10 more planes. Boeing previously said the sale was from an unidentified customer.
   Emirates, the state-owned airline of Dubai, is scheduled to receive its first delivery of the plane in 2010. It said the purchase was made to take advantage of strong growth in regional and international air cargo volumes. The Middle East has been the fastest growing cargo market in recent quarters, according to statistics from the International Air Transport Association. In August, Middle Eastern carriers experienced 13 percent growth in cargo volume compared to a 4.7 percent increase for overall international air freight traffic.
   Boeing created the new stretch version of the 747-400 as its answer to the Airbus A380, now plagued by severe production delays. The 747-8 has space for seven more pallets than the current version of the plane and has an improved wing design and engines for better fuel economy, according to Boeing.
   Emirates is expanding at a rapid clip in both passenger and cargo sectors. It has orders for more than 100 widebody Airbus and Boeing valued at about $30 billion, including eight Boeing 777 freighters. The company serves 28 destinations with its freighter fleet of nine 747s and Airbus 310s, most of which are operated under outsourced lease arrangements with dedicated air cargo operators.
   The announcement comes in the wake of news from Airbus that Emirates and other airlines will have to wait an additional year before receiving the superjumbo A380 plane. Emirates has ordered 43 of the planes and plans to lease two more, but backed out of an initial commitment to purchase two A380 freighters.
   Five airlines, including launch customer Cargolux, have ordered 44 747-8 freighters since the plane went on sale in November 2005.