Emirates could be Last Dog A-380 Standing But biggest 777X Holder

Since the pandemic arrival, some airlines have stored their A-380 fleet or returning the A-380 to its lessors. Emirates has the world's largest fleet having 115 units. You could say it's the order that built the A-380. 

Emirates has not announced a fleet reshuffling as demand on the A-380 will increase each time an airline scrubs out its own A-380. Emirates is well positioned with its A-380 during the next 3 years because the A-380 market is dying. The result will be the same with a question, will the A-380 used market emerge?

With the customer love about the superjumbo, Airbus can't or isn't at this time able to revive the concept, and Boeing is offering a niche blaster with its 777X's. Even though Boeing's 777X order book looks stalled and looks anemic, the 777X is a follow-on of the ever-popular 777-300ER. Once Emirates keeps its A380 fleet intact at around 115 units Boeing will sell 777X in onesie and twosies per airshow. The 777X order book will grow because that 777 niches will be exposed from the A-380 death-wake with a very capable aircraft. It takes a long-time to expend the 777-ER so airline needs a backfill and that is the 777X but at a higher price which will cause the airline to run to ground any of its 777-300ER's on inventory before ordering a replacement aircraft.

Emirates again can again wait a while before contemplating fleet renewal aspirations for the right price and time for the super Jumbo niche. Ten years into the is a safe time subset for Emirates to play with its fleet cards. An additional 777X order will come at the five-year mark as the A-380 handwriting on the wall turns into a Boeing order voucher/contract for 40 777X's.

Can Boeing wait for this opportunity to unfold? Yes it can! The order unfolding will occur from customer pressure. Emirates and Etihad. Etihad has already booked 25 and Emirates 115. The North American group is keeping its powder dry until after the first 777X delivery is completed and several years of operation are in the books. During 2024 the predictive number for the 777X is 60 777X's ordered for the year from various customers.