DUBAI: The biennial Dubai Air Show opened Monday with hometown airline Emirates ordering 65 of Boeing’s upcoming 777-9 aircraft, as the carrier looks to increase its fleets off record earnings and unending demand for flights through this East-West travel hub.
Emirates valued the deal with Boeing and GE Engines at $38 billion at list prices, although airlines often negotiate lower prices in major orders.
The announcement brings the total of Boeing 777-9s on order for Emirates to 270, making it Boeing’s largest customer for the aircraft, even as the plane has suffered repeated delays in entering service. Emirates relies heavily on the double-decker Airbus A380 and the Boeing 777, and has also started flying the Airbus A350.
“It’s a long-term commitment that supports hundreds of thousands of high-value factory jobs, and it reinforces our 40-year partnership with Boeing and GE,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, the chairman and chief executive of Emirates.
“Emirates is already the world’s largest operator of the 777 — all powered by the GE engines — and after today's order, I expect to remain the biggest 777 operator for the years to come.”
Sheikh Ahmed added that Emirates continued to encourage manufacturers to build larger aircraft with more capacity as air travel is only expected to grow. However, he smiled and looked at Boeing when putting forward his hoped-for timeline for putting the 777-9 in service for Emirates.
“We look forward to receiving delivery of our first 777-9s starting from the second quarter of 2027,” he said.
Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, offered no timeline for the plane’s entry to service in her brief remarks.
“The 777-9 will further support Emirates mission to connect people and places around the globe like never before,” she said.
The air show will also see renewed interest in flying taxis. Military sales as well remain a focus.
Emirates, the state-owned flagship airline of Dubai, earned annual profits of $5.2 billion in the last fiscal year and passenger numbers remain record-breaking at Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travel. The airline made a $52 billion purchase of Boeing Co. aircraft at the 2023 edition of the air show, which takes place at Al-Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central.
FlyDubai, the lower-cost sister to Emirates, also has seen record-breaking earnings, and likely wants to expand its fleet of single-aisle aircraft. The airline currently flies 95 Boeing 737 variants, with Airbus wanting to break into the carrier's fleet. FlyDubai ordered $11 billion worth of 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners at the last air show, which when delivered will be the airline’s first wide-body aircraft.
Al-Maktoum airport itself is on the agenda for Dubai’s government. It plans a $35 billion project to expand to five parallel runways and 400 aircraft gates, to be completed within the next decade. The airport now has just two runways, like Dubai International Airport. Those additional slots coming online will help Emirates and FlyDubai grow their network, and require more aircraft to fly those routes.
