Emirates orders 95 Boeing 777 widebody jets in deal worth $52B

Emirates placed an order for 95 Boeing widebody aircraft worth $52 billion on Monday, the first day of the Dubai Airshow.

Already the world’s largest operator of 777 aircraft, Emirates placed an order for 90 777X airplanes, including 55 777-9 and 35 777-8 jets. The new order will increase the air carrier’s 777X family backlog to 205 jets.

"We've been closely involved in the 777 program since its start up until this latest generation of 777X aircraft," said Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, CEO of Emirates Airline and Group CEO. "The 777 has been central to Emirates' fleet and network strategy of connecting cities on all continents non-stop to Dubai."

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The 777X has a wider cabin and interiors that provide better humidity levels and more natural light, while the 777-8 will give the airline more revenue potential through increased payload and improved fuel efficiency on short and long flights, according to the announcement.

Meanwhile, the 777-9 will be the largest and most fuel-efficient twin-engine jet in the world, with the lowest operating cost per seat of any commercial airplane. The 777-9 seats 426 passengers in a typical two-class configuration, with a range of 7,295 nautical miles, the companies said.

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"We are pleased to extend our relationship with Boeing and look forward to the first 777-9 joining our fleet in 2025," the Emirates chief executive added.

Emirates also updated its 787 Dreamliner order book to "better align future capacity to demand." The airline will purchase five additional 787 jets, growing its backlog to 35 aircraft, while converting 30 787-9s to 20 787-8s and 10 787-10 airplanes.

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Boeing said its 2023 commercial market outlook forecasts widebody airplanes will comprise 45% of deliveries to Middle East airlines over the next 20 years – the highest regional percentage worldwide.