Emirates orders 65 Boeing 777X planes in US$38b deal

[DUBAI] Emirates ordered 65 Boeing 777X planes in a deal worth US$38 billion on Monday (Nov 17), delivering a vote of confidence to the US manufacturer on day one of the Dubai Airshow.

Deliveries of the much-delayed plane are expected to start from the second quarter of 2027 under the agreement, which also includes 130 GE9X engines from General Electric.

Emirates, already the biggest customer for the Boeing 777, now has 270 777X, 10 777 freighters and 35 Boeing 787s on order.

“It’s a long-term commitment that supports hundreds of thousands of high-value manufacturing jobs,” Emirates Group chairman and chief executive Sheikh Ahmed Saeed Al Maktoum told a press conference.

Emirates, wholly owned by the Dubai government, is the world’s most profitable airline, announcing US$2.9 billion in half-year profits earlier this month.

With 315 Boeing wide-body, or long-haul, planes on order, it has previously expressed frustration at repeated delays to deliveries of the 777X.

“Some people may have doubts about Emirates’ huge backlog of aircraft orders,” Sheikh Ahmed said.

“But I assure that each and every aircraft on order has been carefully factored into Emirates’ growth plans.”

Along with delays, Boeing has been battling safety concerns and court cases after a series of incidents including the Air India disaster in June which killed at least 265 people.

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The delivery delays have forced Emirates to refurbish much of its existing fleet, including its Airbus A380s which are now out of production.

The latest order includes the option to upgrade to larger versions of the 777X that are still under development. AFP