Emirates Airline announces $99bn Boeing, Airbus jet order

Dubai-based Emirates Airline has placed $76bn of orders for 150 Boeing 777x aircraft, and a further $23bn of 50 Airbus A380 jets, at the Dubai Air Show.

Emirates’ Boeing order comprises 35 Boeing 777-8Xs and 115 Boeing 777-9Xs, with additional 50 purchase rights.

Together, the orders for Boeing and Airbus aircraft, excluding purchase rights, are worth around $99bn at list prices.

This is both the company’s largest order and the largest ever aircraft order in civil aviation industry. It will bring the airlines’ total firm order book to 385 aircraft, including 214 Boeing 777s, 101 Airbus A380s, and 70 A350s.

Emirates Airline and Group chairman and chief executive HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum said: "Air transport is a key enabler of world trade, and we see that demand for aviation services will continue to grow globally.

"Emirates’ aircraft orders today, with deliveries of the 777X scheduled to start in 2020, will take us to 2025 and beyond – replacing aircraft due for retirement and providing the foundation for future growth."

The airline’s 777-8X and 777-9X jets will be a combination of two and three-class configurations, with the 777-8X having a potential capacity of 342 passengers in three classes, and the 777-9X seating more than 440 passengers in two classes.

Emirates is the largest operator of the Boeing’s 777 aircraft, with 131 in operation.

The first 25 of the Airbus A380 aircraft orders are slated to be delivered by the first quarter of 2018.

Currently, Emirates operates the largest fleet of A380s worldwide with 39 in service.

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Image: Left to Right – Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum; Airbus president and CEO Fabrice Brégier; EADS chief executive Tom Enders; UAE vice president and prime minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; and Emirates Airline and Group chairman and chief executive HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum. Photo: courtesy of Emirates.