Boeing took centre stage at day one of the Dubai Airshow on Monday, booking a $38bn order from host carrier Emirates and clinching more deals with African carriers, while China displayed its C919 in the Middle East for the first time.
Thousands of guests flooded exhibition halls and a runway around Al Maktoum International Airport, where airplanes, helicopters and drones were on display.
The Middle East aerospace gala has in the past seen major order announcements as its regional carriers turned into some of the world’s biggest airlines, with local governments betting on tourism and transportation to diversify economies away from oil.
Emirates said on Monday it was ordering another 65 Boeing 777-9 jets, cementing its position as the world’s biggest buyer of wide-body jets as the US planemaker agreed to carry out a feasibility study for a larger version.
The purchase brings Emirates’ orders for the 777X family to 270 jets and comes despite recent delays in delivery of the world’s largest twin-engined jetliner. Analysts said part of the deal could incorporate compensation for earlier delays.
“It is a long-term commitment that supports hundreds of thousands of high-value factory jobs,” Emirates CEO Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum told a news conference.
Bloomberg earlier reported that Emirates was set to place an order for dozens of 777X jets.
Boeing also said Ethiopian Airlines placed an order for a further 11 737 MAX 8 aircraft, while Air Senegal will purchase nine 737 MAX jets, with options for another six. Brazil’s Embraer posted orders from Air Cote d’Ivoire and Helvetica and hinted at higher production following a string of sales wins.
Eyes on Airbus while Chinese rival boosts presence
Airbus sat out Monday’s activity but looks set to beat Boeing to the lion’s share of a major order from flydubai at the show, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Freighters are also in demand as carriers renew fleets.
As the two Western giants top up their bulging order books, China’s COMAC has stepped up a marketing push for its C919 jetliner as it moves to compete on the global stage.
However, its two existing plane models – the C909 and C919 – lack key certifications from Western regulators, and analysts do not expect China to take a significant slice of the global jet market beyond deals with supportive countries any time soon.
Emirates backs feasibility study for 777-10
Emirates is the largest customer for the 777X, which is now seven years late after Boeing took a $4.9bn charge last month and announced a further one-year delay in deliveries to 2027.
Emirates’ president, Tim Clark, told a recent podcast hosted by Abu Dhabi-based The National that he hoped Boeing or Airbus would build larger models of their biggest long-haul jets, while describing both as “very risk-averse”.
Emirates, now in its 40th year, championed the Airbus A380 superjumbo, the world’s largest airliner, to feed its Dubai hub with long-haul passengers. But Airbus stopped producing the double-decker in 2021 after weak demand from other carriers.
Emirates said its agreement with Boeing “provides strong backing” for the study to be carried out by Boeing to develop a 777-10, a larger variant of its 777X family.
Airbus’ commercial aircraft CEO, Christian Scherer, told Reuters that Airbus was also studying a larger version of its A350 family.
First, Airbus must respond to calls from Emirates for improvements to its existing A350-1000 model, which the Dubai carrier has avoided due to concerns over maintenance costs.
Scherer, speaking at his last air show before retiring, said he was confident of winning Emirates support for the A350-1000 once the improvements had been demonstrated and that this effort could leave room for further growth in the product line-up.
The comments suggest it may be too early for Emirates to order the A350-1000 at this week’s show, despite speculation of a deal drawing a line under its earlier reluctance. Emirates, however, has voiced support for the recently introduced A350-900.