Emirates Airline yesterday, announced an order of up to 36 additional Airbus A380 aircraft, with 20 firm orders and 16 options, valued at US$16 billion at list prices.

The additional Airbus A380s will be delivered to Emirates from 2020 onwards and will be used for replacements and growth.

Emirates is by far, the world's largest operator of the Airbus A380 double decker with 101 A380s in service today. It took delivery of its first A380 in July 2008 and its 100th in November 2017.

The current Emirates order for the A380 is the latest attempt to save the super jumbo which has been experiencing order drought in the last couple of years.

Raising doubts about the future of the A380 super jumbo, Airbus in December last year, said it was considering ending the production of the A380 if it failed to win a key order from Emirates.

The A380 is the world’s largest commercial aircraft, offering widest seats, wide aisles and more floor space. The A380 can fly up to 8,200 nautical miles, carrying 575 passengers in 4 classes.

The double decker has however, fallen out of favour with airlines executives due to its massive size and fuel inefficiency especially with the advent of smaller twin-engine fuel efficient long haul airliners.

As of December 2017, Airbus had received a total of 317 firm orders from 19 airlines and leasing companies, out of which 222 have have been delivered to 13 Airlines.