Emirates has ordered another 50 A380 super jumbos to meet growth projections.

The order was signed at a ceremony at the 2013 Dubai Airshow witnessed by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive Emirates Airline and Group and Fabrice Brégier, Airbus President and CEO.

“The A380 continues to be the flagship of our fleet and after five years in operation it remains highly popular with our passengers,” said HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group.

“It is still one of the most efficient aircraft to operate today in terms of fuel burn and emissions per passenger, and it gives us the flexibility in some cases to meet passenger demand in slot-constrained markets. This latest order will help us meet both fleet expansion and fleet replacement needs.”

“We value our partnership with Emirates Airline and are pleased to see this getting stronger each day with their A380s flying,” said Fabrice Brégier, Airbus CEO and President.

“By strategically placing the A380 at the centre of its business, Emirates is maximizing its leading position with each day of operations. Emirates has understood from the start the A380s advantages in terms of efficiency, economics and passenger comfort. It continues to be a true crowd-puller and contributor to the rapid development of its Dubai hub.”

Following delivery of their first A380 in July 2008, Emirates has now taken delivery of 39 A380s. The new order takes the airline’s commitments for the A380 to 140.

The total A380 fleet has accumulated over one million flight hours in almost 140,000 commercial flights. To date some 50 million passengers have flown on the super jumbo. Every five minutes, an A380 either takes off or lands at one of the 34 airports where it operates today and the network is constantly growing.