Emirates reshuffles its 777X and 787 orders once again

As has been anticipated for some months, Emirates has used the Dubai Airshow to announce a few fleet order updates. The Dubai carrier has upped its order for the 777X and revised another for the 787 – again. This should prepare Emirates for the post-Airbus A380 period, although the double-deckers will continue to be in service for some 18 years. In a packed room in the Dubai Airshow media center, Emirates Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum announced an order for 55 additional 777-9s, 35 777-8s, and five incremental 787s. The order is valued at $52 billion against list prices, although make sure that Emirates has received a significant discount. Exactly ten years ago at the 2013 Dubai Airshow, Emirates placed a bumper order for 150 777X. This included 35 777-8s and 115 -9s. Over the years, this order has been revised a few times, going as high as 156, then down to 126, and later to 115. Sir Tim Clark confirmed in June during a media round table that Emirates still had 35 -8s on order, but actually, that same day amended the order. Although Emirates was unwilling to disclose the details, it is believed that it swapped 16 -8s for -9s. The total number stayed at 115. BCA President and CEO Stan Deal, Emirates Chairman Sheikh Ahmed, and GE Aerospace President Lary Cyulp sign the order at Dubai Airshow. (Richard Schuurman) Launching the 777-8 Until today, that is. All 115 from the previous orders are now 777-9s and the number has increased to 170, with deliveries extended through 2035. That coincides with the gradual phasing out of the A380s, of which Emirates currently operates 104 and has planned to return another 12 in the coming year. The airline will also start retiring its oldest 777-300ERs, for which it recently extended leases as delivery of the 777-9 continued to be pushed out. Delivery of the first aircraft will start in 2025. Although Boeing still has to start the final phase of certification, it is hopeful to be cleared by the FAA for Type Inspection Authorization in the coming months. When deliveries start, the 777X will have been six years behind schedule. Emirates and Boeing renegotiated the contract for the 777-8. Although announced 10 years ago, Boeing still has to officially launch the passenger version of the Dash 8. It launched the -8F freighter in January 2022, with entry into service scheduled for 2027. Until today, Boeing data showed 43 gross orders for the -8 but only 8 net orders. Boeing redesigned the type to give the passenger -8 the same length of 232 feet/6 inches of 70.86 meters as the -8F. The extra length brings the maximum seat capacity to 395, up from 384. The range of 8.745 nm /16.190km has only marginally changed. Head of Product Marketing of the 777X, John Dyson, told AirInsight earlier today that the first 777-8 should enter service in 2030. This year is also mentioned by Emirates. Sheikh Ahmed said that Emirates is “one of the launch customers” of the -8. The latest order brings the total backlog of 777X aircraft for Emirates to 205. “We will be the biggest operator of the aircraft for some years to come. This is parts of Emirates’ strategy to connect cities and continents to Dubai to make it a global hub,” the Chairman said. Emirates revised its 787 order again and has now selected the smallest 787-8 as well. (Emirates) 787 order amendment Emirates also revised its order for the Boeing 787. At the 2017 Dubai Airshow, Sheikh Ahmed announced an order for 40 787-10s, but these were changed to 787-9s in 2019. Four years forward, and the -9s are gone and the -10s back, although the airline plans now to take only 15 of them. The majority of the -9s have been swapped for 787-8s, the smallest model of the Dreamliner family that didn’t sell well in recent years. Emirates nor Boeing have said when the Dreamliners will be delivered. The 777X and 787 orders are an incredible vote of confidence in Boeing, said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Stan Deal. They cement Emirates’ long-term relationship with the US airframer. Deal told AirInsight that Boeing will likely review the production rate for the 777X, now that the orderbook has received a huge boost. The 777F and 777X are currently produced at four aircraft per month. Production of the 777-9 has slowly restarted in recent months, said John Dyson. The 777X order also means a huge boost for General Electric, who won an incremental order for 202 GE9X engines to bring the backlog for Emirates to 460. GE Aerospace President Larry Culp was most pleased with the additional orders. It is not to be ruled out that Emirates will place another aircraft order with Airbus for the A350-1000 later this week. Emirates has 50 A350-900s on order, which will be delivered between 2024 and 2026.

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