Emirates confirms historic $38 billion order for 65 Boeing 777Xs

The Emirates group, owner of the Middle East's largest airline, announced Monday an order for 65 Boeing 777X aircraft, valued at $38 billion, in a move that reinforces its position as one of Boeing's top global customers.

The contract also calls for 130 General Electric GE9X engines, with deliveries scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2027, the company detailed during the first day of the Dubai Air Show.

"It's a long-term commitment that supports hundreds of thousands of high-value factory jobs," Emirates CEO Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktum said at the press conference reviewed by AFP.

Expansion and consolidation strategy

Emirates, wholly controlled by the UAE government, is already the Boeing 777's largest customer and maintains a large book of orders: 270 Boeing 777Xs, 10 777 freighters and 35 Boeing 787s, according to company data.

Sheikh Al Maktum anticipated that the addition of the new 777Xs fits carefully with the airline's growth planning:

"Some people may have doubts about Emirates' huge backlog of aircraft orders, but I assure you each and every aircraft of ours has been carefully factored into Emirates' growth plans," he told the agency.