Emirates 777-9 aircraft rendering.
Image: Emirates, Copyright (c) 2021 Markus Mainka/Shutterstock.
Emirates and Boeing have signed a deal for 65 additional Boeing 777-9 aircraft, on the opening day of Dubai Airshow 2025. The new order, valued at $38 billion at list prices, strengthens the Dubai-based carrier’s position as the world’s largest operator of the 777 family and demonstrates its support for Boeing’s 777X ambitious program which has faced a series of setbacks, delaying its certification.
With this deal, Emirates’ total Boeing orderbook stands at 315 widebody aircraft, including 270 777X jets, 10 777 freighters, and 35 787s. The agreement also includes 130 additional GE9X engines. Emirates’ commitment to GE Aerospace now rises to 540 GE9X engines in total, the largest order for the engine program to date.
A Boost For Boeing’s 777X Program — And Its 777-10 Study
The latest agreement allows Emirates to convert the new 777-9 orders into either the smaller 777-8 or the 777-10, a stretched variant of the 777X aimed at higher-capacity long-haul routes.
HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, said the airline has been “keen for manufacturers to build larger capacity aircraft, which are more efficient to operate, especially with projected air traffic growth and increasing constraints at airports.”
He added that Emirates “fully supports Boeing’s feasibility study to develop the 777-10.”
For Boeing, Emirates’ commitment to more of the 777X family is a meaningful sign of support as the planemaker addresses certification delays and progresses toward its first delivery of the 777-9 in Q2 2027.
Stephanie Pope, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said the manufacturer is “deeply honoured that Emirates has once again selected the Boeing 777X to power its future,” adding that its partnership with the airline, which spans four decades, will continue “for decades to come.”
GE9X Order Underscores Emirates’ Long-Term Engine Strategy
Emirates also signed for 130 additional GE9X engines, taking its total orderbook for the type to 540 units. GE Aerospace GE90 and GP7200 engines power Emirates’ 119 Boeing 777-300ERs, 10 777-200LRs and 11 777 freighters. The new GE9X engines will exclusively power the airline’s future 777X fleet.
GE Aerospace President & CEO for Commercial Engines & Services, Russell Stokes, said, “Already the world’s largest customer for GE90 and GP7200 engines, this additional GE9X order reflects Emirates’ confidence in our technology and our team.”
Deliveries Through 2038 Support U.S. Manufacturing
This agreement gives Emirates one of the longest forward order books in commercial aviation, with Boeing aircraft deliveries now expected to run until 2038. The airline highlighted that this deal will support “hundreds of thousands of high-value manufacturing jobs” across the industrial bases of both Boeing and GE.
The 777X and GE9X are manufactured and assembled across the U.S., creating jobs in Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont and Washington.
Emirates Fleet And Orderbook Snapshot
As of November 2025, Emirates operates a fleet of 269 aircraft and has 367 aircraft scheduled for delivery. The airline continues to fly the world’s largest 777 fleet and remains the largest A380 operator with 116 superjumbos in service.
Emirates Fleet and Orderbook (as of November 17, 2025)
In service / Future deliveries
- Airbus A380: 116 / –
- Airbus A350-900: 13 / 52
- Boeing 777-300ER: 119 / –
- Boeing 777-200LR: 10 / –
- Boeing 777 Freighter: 11 / 10
- Boeing 777-9: – / 270
- Boeing 787: – / 35
Total: 269 in fleet / 367 on order
Emirates’ Fleet Strategy: Modernization And Capacity Growth
Sheikh Ahmed said each aircraft included in the order “has been carefully factored into Emirates’ expansion plan,” describing the investment as consistent with Dubai’s broader growth strategy. Emirates has focused on operating a “young and modern fleet with innovative cabin products.” The airline has been carrying out a multi-billion-dollar cabin retrofit program for its existing A380s and 777-300ERs while awaiting delivery of new aircraft.
The additional 777X aircraft will complement Emirates’ future Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 787 fleets, forming the long-term backbone of its fleet.
As the 777-9 variant advances toward entry into service in 2027 and Boeing studies the 777-10 variant, Emirates’ backing gives the 777X program a much-needed vote of confidence.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisagarcia/2025/11/17/dubai-airshow-emirates-pens-38-billion-deal-for-65-more-boeing-777xs/
