DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Emirates Airline on Monday announced an order for 95 Boeing aircraft at a price of $52 billion, kicking off the primary major deal of the 2023 Dubai Airshow.
The state-owned flagship Dubai carrier, a subsidiary of Emirates Group, is ordering 55 additional Boeing 777-9s and 35 of its 777-8s, bringing the airline’s total orders for the 777X wide-body jets to 205 units. It’s also updating its order of Boeing 787 Dreamliners from 30 to 35, comprised of 15 787-10s and 20 787-8s.
Emirates also confirmed its order of an additional 202 engines from General Electric: the GE9X engines, which is able to power the brand new 777X aircraft. The announcement brings Emirates’ total GE9X engine order to 460. The 777 aircraft can fly for as much as 18 hours.
Emirates already operates the biggest variety of Boeing 777 aircraft of any airline on the earth. The continued appetite for wide-body jets highlights the importance of the Middle East market to the aircraft model’s demand. Middle East customers now account “for the biggest portion of combined
Airbus and Boeing widebody passenger backlog at 30% of the worldwide total,” in keeping with analysts at wealth management firm AllianceBernstein.
That is due largely to the Middle East region’s role as a connection hub for long-haul journeys. Each Boeing and Airbus have highlighted the realm as a significant source of demand for wide-body aircraft, with buoyant long-term growth outlooks and healthy recovery in air travel demand because the Covid-19 pandemic fueling airlines’ optimism and orders.
“Emirates is the most important operator of Boeing 777 aircraft, and today’s order cements that position. We have been closely involved within the 777 program since its initiate until this latest generation of 777X aircraft,” Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group, said during a news conference.
“The 777 has been central to Emirates’ fleet and network strategy of connecting cities on all continents non-stop to Dubai,” he said. “We’re pleased to increase our relationship with Boeing and sit up for the primary 777-9 joining our fleet in 2025.”
