The tenth Airbus A330-200 (A6-EKZ), joined Emirates’ fleet yesterday (Saturday October 28), arriving in Dubai after a non-stop flight from Airbus Industrie’s headquarters in Toulouse.

The new aircraft is scheduled to make its first flight (October 29) to Rome and onwards to Nice.

Powered by Rolls Royce Trent 700 series engines, EKZ is configured in two classes with a total of 285 seats (34 in Business Class and 251 in Economy), and has a cargo capacity of up to 13,000 kgs with a full passenger load.

Captain Paul Ridley and First Officer Mark Stanton were at the controls for the delivery flight. On board was a Gulf Civil Aviation Authority Senior Airworthiness Inspector Mohammed Abubaker, Emirates’ Senior Legal Adviser Alistair Dunn and airline engineers. The cabin crew was led by Cabin Service Director Safwan Khuffash. The aircraft carried nine tonnes of general cargo on the delivery flight.

Emirates has placed firm orders for a total of 21 A330-200s. The remaining 11 aircraft will be delivered between now and 2002. These aircraft are replacing Emirates’ fleet of Airbus A310-300s and A300-600Rs.

The airline has also placed firm orders for seven Boeing 777-300s for delivery between now and 2002; six Airbus A340-500s, the world`s longest-range aircraft, for delivery from 2002 to 2003; and seven Airbus A3XX (of which two are freighters) for delivery from 2006 to 2008. Emirates also has three Airbus A330-200s, 10 Airbus A340-500s, four Boeing 777-200s and five A3XXs on option.

Emirates has signed a US$85 million financing agreement to acquire the A330-200, structured as a 12-year Japanese operating lease arranged by Credit Agricole Indosuez and guaranteed by the UK`s Export Credit Guarantee Department (ECGD), Germany`s HERMES and France`s COFACE.

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