Boeing 777-9X aircraft ready for delivery. Photo: Dipankar Bhakta | Dreamstime.com
Emirates Group, the owner of the largest airline in the Middle East, announced on Monday, on the first day of the Dubai Air Show, that it had ordered 65 Boeing 777X aircraft worth 38 billion dollars, reports France Presse.
Deliveries should begin from the second quarter of 2027 under this contract, which also includes 130 GE9X engines from General Electric.
“It is a long-term commitment that supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in the high value-added manufacturing sector,” Emirates CEO Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum commented at a press conference.
Emirates, wholly owned by the government of Dubai, was already the largest Boeing 777 customer, with 270 orders for the 777X, 10 777 freighters and 35 Boeing 787s.
Emirates is the most profitable airline in the world
It now has 315 large-capacity or long-haul Boeing jets on order. The company expressed frustration over repeated delays in deliveries of the 777X, which had already been pushed back from 2025 to 2026.
“Some may have doubts about Emirates' large number of aircraft orders. But I can assure you that each aircraft ordered has been carefully integrated into Emirates' growth plans,” said Sheikh Ahmed.
Emirates is the world's most profitable airline, recently announcing a half-year profit of $2.9 billion.
Boeing, for its part, faces, in addition to delayed deliveries, safety concerns and lawsuits after a series of accidents, including the Air India disaster in June, when 260 people died.
Delivery delays have forced Emirates to overhaul much of its existing fleet, including its discontinued Airbus A380s.
The latest order includes the option to upgrade to larger versions of the 777X, which are still under development.
Photo: Dipankar Bhakta | Dreamstime.com
