Emirates in Dh11b deal on A380 maintenance

A US$3 billion (Dh11 billion) management, repair and overhaul (MRO) deal was formalised between Emirates airline and Engine Alliance, a US-based producer of A380 engines according to a report in "Gulf News."
The fleet management agreement will service the GP7200 engines that power the A380 fleet. It will also be supported by Engine Alliance's member companies, General Electric, Pratt and Whitney, other MRO facilities in its support network, including Emirates facilities in Dubai.
"Emirates will be the largest operator of our GP7200 engines," said Engine Alliance President Jim Moravecek. "We look forward to expanding our excellent relationship with Emirates into the services arena."
Emirates entered service with the GP7200-powered A380 in August 2008, and took delivery of its fifth A380 in April. The airline will be the largest operator of the engines when it receives the delivery of all 58 A380s on order, placed at a list price of US$17 billion.
The MRO deal is expected to help eliminate problems that A380 operators have been experiencing recently.
Emirates has faced delays and cancellations of flights that resulted from technical problems. Four A380 aircraft from the airline's fleet were grounded, causing a loss of 500 hours, reported Reuters. Issues included heat-damaged cables, defective engines and numerous malfunctions.
Despite the problems, the airline has said that it has no plans to cancel any A380 orders. The GP7200 is the quietest, most fuel efficient engine for the A380 and its emissions are well below current and anticipated regulations.
In addition to Emirates, the Engine Alliance GP7200 has been selected to power A380 aircraft for Air France, Korean Airlines, and the International Lease Finance Company. Air France is scheduled to receive its first GP7200-powered A380 in October.
The Engine Alliance is a 50:50 joint venture of General Electric and Pratt and Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp.