Emirates President Sir Tim Clark says the airline would like to grow its presence in the U.S. But Boeing delivery delays have created some roadblocks.
During an interview with Sky News Australia, Clark hinted at some optimism regarding the new Trump administration. The airline boss believes Trump could help strengthen the U.S. economy, which could open up more opportunities for Emirates to grow in the market.
“That means that probably we will introduce more activity into the United States subject to aircraft availability,” Clark said. “We’d like to do more now, but we can’t because we’re hamstrung by fleet size.”
Boeing 777X Delays
Emirates was initially slated to be one of the launch customers for Boeing’s 777X, which has yet to receive regulatory certification. Boeing now plans to deliver the first 777X in 2026.
Clark has been rather vocal about Boeing’s issues, even suggesting that Chapter 11 bankruptcy might be on the manufacturer’s horizon. Emirates is Boeing’s largest widebody jet customer.
In his recent Sky News interview, Clark commented that the new administration could put some downward pressure on Boeing to solve quality control woes and meet contractual obligations. He noted that Emirates has 250 aircraft still waiting to be delivered.
“If they don’t perform as well as they should be … I think the administration might be looking at them a little bit more closely,” he said.
Clark didn’t elaborate on what more activity in the U.S. could look like. More recently, though, the airline has added a fifth freedom service from Miami to Bogota, Colombia.
