Emirates Leaves Rivals in Slipstream

Emirates Leaves Rivals in Slipstream
http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,737603,00.html

The Dubai-based airline Emirates is considered the world’s most successful and has ambitious plans to expand. Its European rivals such as Lufthansa and British Airways accuse the airline of benefitting from massive state subsidies. But the reality is more complicated.

There are only a few top executives who can gaze out on the future of their own company from the comfort of their own desk. But Tim Clark, the 63-year-old British president of the Dubai-based airline Emirates, is one of them.

Clark’s office with its large windows sits on the top floor of the company’s headquarters at Dubai International Airport. Right in front of his building, a glimmering gray-blue colossus of steel is shooting up. In late 2012, when the new terminal building for Airbus A380s is completed, up to 20 of the massive jets should be able to dock there at the same time. Emirates already has 15 of the world’s largest passenger jets in service. It has another 75 on order. And it plans on buying more.