Day four of the Dubai Airshow saw Emirates sign two new MRO deals as well as an order for additional Airbus widebodies.
The centrepiece was a memorandum of understanding between Emirates and Boeing to use digital technology to accelerate improvements in maintenance operations.
Digital MRO service
This will include measures such as drone assisted aircraft inspections, sharpening the precision and effectiveness of maintenance tasks through use of virtual and augmented reality, in addition to next generation prognostic and predictive maintenance.
The integration of drone technology for maintenance tasks will speed up exterior inspections on wide-body aircraft using ultra-high resolution cameras with the capability to reach every angle of the aircraft to detect surface imperfections.
Honeywell wheels and brakes
Elsewhere, Honeywell has been selected by Emirates to provide wheels and carbon brakes for its fleet of 116 Airbus A380 aircraft.
Honeywell says its advanced wheel and braking designs save weight, reduce maintenance costs and help extend overall brake life.
Under the terms of the 10-year MRO agreement, maintenance of the wheels and brakes will be performed through Emirates maintenance shops, ensuring continued maintenance support in Dubai.
Emirates also placed an order for an additional 15 Airbus A350-900s, bringing Emirates’ total order book of A350s to 65 units.
The first A350 is scheduled to join Emirates’ fleet in August 2024, and with today’s additional orders, Emirates will receive A350 deliveries until early 2028.
Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates’ chairman and chief executive, said: “The A350-900s will add to our fleet mix and we are pleased to announce additional orders for this aircraft type.
“We plan to deploy our A350s to serve a range of new markets including long-haul missions of up to 15 hours flying time from Dubai.”
Within the AAM sector, VoltAero’s universal mobile charger for electric aircraft, including its Cassio 330, was unveiled.
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