And pilots know how the industry works? NOT!

No whizzing required. Single aisle Airbus backlog of orders is now north of 5600 a/c - 5063 being NEOs. The current production rate is now 46 a/c per month, with plans to raise this to 60 in 2019, allegedly.
Airbus have a track record of accommodating new orders within their delivery framework, but that may be volume related, and/or dependent on how EK approach them. Not to mention the potential for EK to buy off slots from operator(s) unknown, or take slots that have been cancelled.
The A320 may also be more attractive to EK as cargo is palletised, whereas B737 is not.
FZ merger may also be tricky due to internal politics as a different part of the ruling family are involved. Of course HH may just lower the boom, and it does make perfect sense to us expats. But then, what do we know...........

Maybe because some have previously worked in management of an airline? Have you fatty? I have. Not in a big or successful one, au contraire mon commandant, but failure teaches lessons ..... although hardly applicable in the ME where face saving outscores logic, i admit.;)

As for production slots of smaller new aircraft:
If the trigger is pulled on the 380, within useful time those production lines can be converted to 350s/320NEOs. As this bullet depends mainly on EK, they can negotiate earlier delivery dates i assume.
But then again, pulling the trigger on such a prestigious product leaves too many d/h faceless around here. To the point that they'd rather have EK morph into a gulfair-like state than put on some clothes.

Pulling the trigger on A380 orders MAY be offset by ordering a different AIB product, but the knock on effect with the suppliers would be enormous, and should not be under estimated.
Bully boy tactics may also have had their day, you can only push so far, and the legacy behaviour is frustrating in the extreme.
AIB will be left with huge facilities when 380 production stops, but installing the jigs and equipment for a/c with a totally different footprint is not the work of a moment.
Interesting times ahead though, on all fronts, and the expectation is enormous. I wonder if the CM master plan will survive contact with reality though?

I think the most devastating thing in that article is where he talks about a successor to STC. Either he is alluding to CM or we really could be doomed.

Wouldn't such an idea like this been perfect to do when all the A330's were up for lease?

Lease with better conditions on them, cheaper rates along with maintenance. Sleek new cabin, with Premium and Economy, fly to 'cheaper' airports, (Stansted or Dong Muang) and then also use it as a feeder for pilot into the a380 fleet?

Unfortunately, a large proportion of the 330s were owned by a certain group within the sandpit, who were, and still are rather deep in the hole on all those airframes. So, no,cheap deals to be had, and the other owners wanted their pound of flesh. They got it too!

CAPA saying U-Turn Al had a better strategy than Know-it-all Tim. Never thought this day will come.