Emirates continues to wait and bet on 777x and signs $50bn order

Emirates opened the Dubai Airshow 2023 yesterday with an order for 95 additional wide-body aircraft, bringing its total order book to 295 aircraft.

Already the world's largest operator of wide-body passenger aircraft, Emirates has committed to purchasing additional Boeing 777-9, 777-8 and 787s, worth $52 billion, to fuel its growth plans, maintain a modern and efficient fleet and provide the best flight experience for its customers.

In the presence of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council; His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE and Deputy Ruler of Dubai; and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council; the orders were signed by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and CEO of the airline and Emirates Group; with Stan Deal, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes; and Larry Culp, President and CEO of GE and CEO of GE Aerospace.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed said, "From day one, Emirates' business model has been to operate modern and efficient wide-body aircraft capable of carrying large numbers of travelers comfortably and safely over long distances to and from Dubai. Today's aircraft orders reflect this strategy .

"These additional aircraft will enable Emirates to connect even more cities, supporting the Dubai D33 economic agenda set by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to add 400 cities to Dubai's foreign trade map over the next decade. By the early 2010s, we expect the Emirates fleet to be around 350, connecting Dubai to even more cities around the world."

Emirates Boeing Order

Emirates, already the world's largest operator of Boeing 777 aircraft, has signed firm orders for 55 additional 777-9s and 35 777-8s. This brings the airline's 777-X order book to a total of 205 units.

Emirates also confirmed an order for 202 GE9X engines to power the additional 777X aircraft ordered today, bringing the total GE9X engine orders to 460 units.

From the previous order of 115 units, the first 777-9 Is expected to join the Emirates fleet in 2025. Today's additional orders mean that Emirates will introduce new 777-9s to its fleet until 2035. With this latest order, Emirates will also be one of the 777-8 passenger variant launch customers, with first deliveries expected in 2030.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed said, "Emirates is the largest operator of Boeing 777 aircraft and today's order consolidates this position. We have been closely involved with the 777 program from its inception to this latest generation of 777X aircraft. The 777 has been central to Emirates' fleet and network strategy of connecting cities on every continent nonstop to Dubai. We are pleased to extend our relationship with Boeing and look forward to the first 777-9 joining our fleet in 2025."

"This order is an incredible vote of confidence in the efficiency and versatility of the 777X family to meet Emirates' needs for long-haul global travel," said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The 777-9 and 777-8 are the perfect aircraft to support Emirates' growth plans, improving environmental performance and unparalleled payload capacity."

The 777 remains the backbone of Emirates' operations, capable of missions of up to 18 hours that allow the airline to connect Dubai nonstop to cities on six continents. The new 777-9 and 777-8 will replace Emirates' retired 777 aircraft and provide for the airline's future growth plans.

Emirates also upgraded its previous order of 30 Boeing 787-9s, increasing its commitment to a total of 35 Dreamliners comprising: 15 Boeing 787-10s and 20 Boeing 787-8s.