Will Go With Boeings Instead

In a sign of growing discontent with European planemaker Airbus, on Monday Emirates cancelled its order for 10 long-range A340-600 airliners. The Dubai-based carrier also axed its options for 10 more of the planes.

"Emirates confirms it will not be taking delivery of its order and option for 20 Airbus A340-600 aircraft," an Emirates representative said.

The announcement isn't entirely unexpected, as in March Emirates threatened to defer the A340-600 orders to hold out for a so-called 'Enhanced' version of the four-engine A340. What's different now, however, is Emirates is no longer talking about filling the void with Airbus planes -- and the A340 isn't the only Airbus plane Emirates has expressed doubts over.

As Aero-News reported, Emirates -- the largest customer for the problematic A380 superjumbo, with 45 orders for the plane -- has threatened to cancel some of its orders for the mammoth jetliner, as well.

With that in mind, it's entirely possible the move to cancel its A340-600 orders is a shot across the bow, to give the carrier's A380 threat added teeth.

Along with the announcement of the A340 cancellation, on Monday Emirates also formally announced its plans to send a technical team to Airbus' headquarters in Toulouse, France, to assess the accuracy of promised delivery dates for the A380 superjumbo.

But Airbus appeared unperturbed by that development.

It is "something agreed to at the time of Christian Streiff," the former Airbus CEO, said Airbus spokesman Justin Dubon to the Associated Press. "He promised customers that they would be kept up to date" and "briefed on the progress of the A380."

In yet another possible signal to Airbus, however, Emirates Executive Vice Chairman Maurice Flanagan says the airline plans to go with Boeing 777s instead of the A340s. The airline is also openly courting Boeing to develop a more, well, "A380-like" version of the upcoming 747-8 Intercontinental.

FMI: www.emirates.com, www.airbus.com