GE Aerospace has secured two major engine agreements with Dubai-based carriers Emirates and flydubai at the Dubai Airshow 2025, underscoring the resilience and expansion of the UAE’s aviation sector.
Emirates extends lead as largest GE9X customer
Emirates and GE Aerospace announced an agreement for 130 additional GE9X engines to power 65 additional Boeing 777-9 aircraft.
The order, which includes spare engines and a long-term services contract, makes Emirates the largest GE9X customer globally, with a total of 540 GE9X engines on order.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive, Emirates Airline and Group, stated the orders — valued at $38bn —represent a “long-term commitment and testament to our partnership with Boeing and GE, and to US aerospace.”
The GE9X is certified to operate on approved sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blends and is touted as the world’s most powerful and fuel-efficient commercial aircraft engine in its class. It offers 10 per cent better specific fuel consumption than its predecessor, the GE90-115B.
flydubai orders GEnx-1B engines for first widebody fleet
In a separate announcement, flydubai finalised an order for 60 GEnx-1B engines to power the airline’s new widebody fleet of 30 Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The deal, which also includes spare engines and a long-term services agreement, will support flydubai’s launch of long-haul operations and its network expansion.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai, noted that the performance and durability of the engines are integral to the success of their operations “as we prepare to welcome the Boeing 787 aircraft to our fleet in the coming years.”
The GEnx engine, also SAF-certified, is GE Aerospace’s fastest-selling high-thrust engine to date and currently powers two-thirds of all Boeing 787 aircraft in operation.
Read: GE Aerospace’s Aziz Koleilat on the forces powering the Middle East’s aviation boom
GE Aerospace’s regional commitment
The announcements reinforce a 40-year partnership between GE Aerospace and Emirates, dating back to the carrier’s first flight in October 1985.
The engine manufacturer also announced a $50m investment in a new on wing support facility in the UAE, adding to its current presence of over 240 employees and various MRO facilities across the country.