Emirates urges Boeing to improve its 777 or develop a new jet

Emirates is urging U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co. to either improve its 777 model or develop a new long-range aircraft that can be used on flights from Dubai to the US West Coast.

“We’ve been in dialogue with Boeing for almost four years about this, but recently we felt that the impetus from Boeing to improve the 777 extended range had slowed,” chief executive, Tim Clark said yesterday.

“We continue to remind them that we want an improvement to the extended range per se, or a new aeroplane.”

Currently, Emirates Airline operates a Boeing 777-200 LR (long range) direct from Dubai to L.A. and San Francisco but says the aircraft is inefficient.

The carrier has previously considered opting for a much larger aircraft to satisfy high demand, including the 500-seat Airbus A380 or Boeing’s new 747-8, which can carry 467 passengers.

While many cargo airlines have signed contracts for the 747, only Lufthansa has put pen to paper to order the passenger version.

“With the A380 as it is today, and as popular as it is today, why would you go back to the 747?” Mr Clark told Flight International magazine this month.

Now, Emirates is reviewing its recommendation for Boeing to redevelop the 777 aircraft model.

In June, Mr Clark said he was only mildly interested in a proposal by Boeing to add a larger wing on the 777 and other modifications, saying he instead preferred a new design.

“Boeing knows we’re very keen,” Mr Clark said.