On the first day of the Dubai Airshow on Monday, domestic airlines revealed large orders: Emirates announced a massive order of 95 planes, and flydubai purchased 30 wide-bodied aircraft.Emirates, the largest airline in the Middle East, located in Dubai, placed the largest order to date, worth $52 billion, for 55 Boeing 777-9s, 35 777-8s, and five 787 Dreamliners.
"This order is a substantial investment that showcases Dubai's dedication to the aviation industry," Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the CEO of Emirates, stated during a press conference.
Delivery of the 777-9s is anticipated in 2025, and that of the 777-8s is planned for 2030.
The Emirates order was the largest of several acquisitions that demonstrated the post-pandemic resurgence of the sector.
Prior to this, SunExpress, a Turkish-German low-cost airline, placed a firm order for 45 Boeing 737 MAX planes at a list price above $5 billion; however, large purchases typically result in a discount.
With its order for 28 737-8s and 17 737-10s, SunExpress may more than double its current fleet of 66 aircraft, with options that may bring the total number of aircraft to 90.
At the signing event, Max Kownatzki, the CEO of Turkish Airlines' and Lufthansa's low-cost joint venture, declared, "It's the largest order in the history of SunExpress."
"We're thrilled to have the MAX aircraft for sustainability and fuel efficiency reasons."
Airbus, Boeing's European competitor, intended to sell 30 A220-300 aircraft to Latvia's airBaltic, along with the option to buy a further 20. By 2030, it plans to have 100 of the aircraft in service.
The airline "plans for the first time ever to operate a fleet of 100 aircraft by 2030," according to airBaltic President and CEO Martin Gauss, who also noted that "this day marks a significant milestone in the history of airBaltic."
historic earnings
On the first day, however, there were no orders made by Saudi airlines, including the recently established Riyadh Air, which aims to challenge Emirates as the top regional carrier. Rumors of a significant order by Turkish Airlines, reportedly for over 350 aircraft, also failed to materialize.
Emirates now has 295 aircraft on order, including 205 777X models, thanks to the most recent agreement. To power its fleet of 777X aircraft, the airline also bought 202 GE9X engines.
Separately, the French tech company Thales said that it had secured a deal to supply the 777xs with in-flight entertainment systems.
Emirates Group revealed record half-year net earnings of 10.1 billion AED ($2.7 billion), up 138 percent from a year earlier, last week, demonstrating its recovery.
Also, the business revealed record-breaking $3 billion in yearly profits in May.
After grounding its fleet and implementing significant layoffs, Emirates reported a $5.5 billion deficit in the Covid-ravaged 2020–2021 fiscal year, its first in more than three decades.
In 2021–2022, its losses decreased to $1.1 billion. The biennial Dubai Airshow is being held for the first time since Emirates turned a profit this week.