Emirates airline announced a $52 billion order for 90 Boeing 777X planes. (Representational))
Dubai, United Arab Emirates:
Emirates airline announced a $52 billion order for 95 Boeing planes on Monday in the biggest sale so far at the Dubai Airshow. A purchase of 55 Boeing 777-9s and 35 777-8s comes alongside an upgrade to an existing order for 30 787 Dreamliners, which rises to 35.
“This order represents a significant investment that demonstrates Dubai’s commitment to the future of aviation,” Emirates CEO Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum told a press conference.
Separately, budget carrier flydubai announced an order for 30 Boeing 787-9s.
With the latest deal, Emirates’ order book rises to 295 planes including 205 777X aircraft. The Middle East’s biggest airline also ordered 202 GE9X engines to power its 777X fleet.
The 777-9s are expected for delivery in 2025 and the 777-8s are scheduled for 2030, Sheikh Ahmed said.
Also at the airshow on Monday, Boeing announced an order of 45 737 MAX aircraft from budget carrier SunExpress, while speculation is swirling about Turkish Airlines after reports it is poised to book about 350 aircraft.
A bumper week of deals would underline the sector’s recovery from the Covid pandemic, which caused havoc in the sector as international travel ground to a halt.
Last week Emirates Group announced record half-year net profits of 10.1 billion AED ($2.7 billion), up 138 percent from a year earlier, driven by strong demand.
The company unveiled record annual profits of $3 billion in May.
The Middle East’s biggest airline posted a $5.5 billion loss in Covid-ravaged 2020-2021, its first in more than three decades, after grounding its fleet and making heavy lay-offs.
Its losses shrank to $1.1 billion in 2021-2022.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Hindkesharistaff and is published from a syndicated feed.)