Emirates bets big on Boeing with $38 billion order at Dubai Airshow

Emirates said Monday it has placed an order for 65 additional Boeing 777-9 aircraft, worth $38 billion at list prices, on the opening day of Dubai Airshow 2025.

Emirates is Boeing’s largest customer in terms of wide-body jets, and today’s announcement takes the airline’s total orderbook with Boeing to 315 widebody aircraft.

It marks “a massive long-term commitment to U.S. aerospace manufacturing, generating support for hundreds of thousands of high value manufacturing jobs in the U.S. over the life of the programmes,” Emirates said in a statement on Monday.

The move is expected to be welcomed by the Trump Administration, which is pushing companies abroad to invest in the U.S. Boeing jets frequently feature in trade deals struck by the administration. South Korea, Japan, the U.K., Malaysia, and Indonesia have all placed large orders for Boeing aircrafts as part of trade negotiations.

The Boeing 777-9 aircraft is powered by GE 9X engines and it brings Emirates’ orderbook with GE Aerospace for GE9X engines to a total of 540 units, according to a company statement.

“Already the world’s largest customer for GE90 and GP7200 engines, this additional GE9X order reflects Emirates’ confidence in our technology and our team,” Russell Stokes, president and CEO of commercial engines and services for GE Aerospace told CNBC.

“We are ready to support Emirates in every way to leverage the efficiency and durability of our industry-leading solutions and services.”

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group said the order shows “a long-term commitment and testament to our partnership with Boeing and GE, and to U.S. aerospace.”

Emirates is grappling with prolonged delays in Boeing’s 777X program, a cornerstone of its fleet renewal strategy. The carrier’s order could face delivery timelines stretching into 2027 as Boeing continues to struggle with certification hurdles and production setbacks.

Emirates has spent billions retrofitting older jets to bridge the gap, and the Airline’s Chairman has publicly pressed Boeing for accountability, telling CNBC’s Dan Murphy in an interview last year, that the planemaker needs to get its “act together.”

The delays underscore mounting pressure on Boeing’s new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, to stabilize output and restore confidence amid an industry-wide supply crunch.

Don’t miss CNBC’s interview with Emirates President Tim Clark at the Dubai Airshow on Tuesday, November 18 at 12:30pm UAE / 08:30am GMT.