Airbus confirms talks with Emirates over A380 contract

Airbus has confirmed it is holding talks with key A380 customer Emirates in relation to its contract for the type, amid reports it is in discussions over the carrier switching some of its orders for the type to the smaller A350. Emirates, the largest operator of the ultra-large aircraft, firmed a follow-on order for 20 of the type in Feb 2018. This covers the first part of a fresh commitment for 36 A380s, tentatively struck in January of that year. The commitment was crucial to the continued production of the A380. Newswire reports citing people familiar with the matter say talks are being held to explore Emirates switching some of these orders to the A350. Earlier this month Airbus removed orders for 10 A380s, which had previously been allocated to an undisclosed customer. <br/>