Emirates has announced that it has signed a full purchase agreement for 30 Boeing 787-9 aircraft, worth USD$ 8.8 billion at list prices, at the Dubai Airshow 2019.

Under its agreement with Boeing, Emirates has exercised its right to substitute the B777x with B787s.

This deal includes Boeing 787 Dreamliners, with deliveries commencing in May 2023 and continuing for the next five years. For the B777X, Emirates will enter into discussions with Boeing over the next few weeks on the status of deliveries. This takes Emirates’ total order with Boeing to 126 aircraft.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Chairman and Chief Executive, signed the agreement with Stanley Deal, President and Chief Executive Officer for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Including the USD$16 billion Airbus A350 order on Monday, this latest announcement takes the total value of Emirates’ firm aircraft commitments at the 2019 Dubai Airshow to USD$24.8 billion.

HH Sheikh Ahmed said: “I am pleased to announce a firm order for 30 Boeing Dreamliners. This is an important investment and addition to our future fleet and network requirements, providing us the agility, flexibility and spread of seat segments when it comes to overall capacity to serve a range of destinations as we develop and grow our global route network. This also reflects Emirates’ continued efforts to provide the best quality air transport services to our customers.

“The 787s will complement our fleet mix by expanding our operational flexibility in terms of capacity, range and deployment to connect new city pairs and expand frequencies. We are also pleased to reaffirm our commitment to the Boeing 777x programme and look forward to its entry into service.

“Our Boeing fleet is key to our business model to serve international demand for travel to and through our Dubai hub, as we continue to contribute to the UAE’s strategy to become a global destination for business and tourism by providing high quality air connectivity.”

Boeing’s Deal said: “We are excited to finalise this important order from one of the world’s leading airlines. Our agreement solidifies Emirates’ plan to operate the 787 Dreamliner and the 777X, which make up the most efficient and most capable wide-body combination in the industry. It is an honour to build on our successful partnership with Emirates and continue to sustain many jobs at Boeing and our supplier partners.”

Emirates’ partnership with Boeing spans decades. Emirates is by far the largest Boeing 777 operator on the planet with 155 777s in service today.