The opening day of the Dubai Airshow showcased Boeing as the standout actor, securing the majority of the deals announced officially.
The American manufacturer signed agreements with six airlines for a total of 239 airplanes, overshadowing Airbus, which started the show with a modest order for 30 planes. In addition, an Arab company announced the acquisition of 10 airplanes from an eVTOL company.
Emirates took center stage by placing an order for an additional 95 wide-body aircraft valued at 52 billion dollars at list prices, increasing its total order book with the American manufacturer to 240 aircraft. This includes 90 Boeing 777X, becoming the launch customer for this model in 2025.
The Turkish-German airline SunExpress secured a deal for up to 90 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which includes firm orders and options. Notably, it becomes the inaugural customer from Germany and Turkey for the Boeing 737-10, the largest variant of the MAX.
Flydubai surprised on this day with a significant order for 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which will allow the airline to extend its reach to long-distance destinations or enhance capacity on key routes. Until now, its fleet included only single-aisle aircraft.
Leasing companies also made their presence felt, with an agreement between Air Lease Corporation (ALC), based in the United States, and EgyptAir for 18 Boeing 737 MAX, aimed at modernizing their Boeing 737 Next Generation fleet. EgyptAir will be the seventh African airline to use the 737 MAX.
Boeing wrapped up the day with deals from Royal Air Maroc (RAM) and Royal Jordanian for two and four Boeing 787-9 aircraft, respectively.
In a more subdued manner, Airbus announced a deal with one of its star customers, airBaltic, for 30 Airbus A220-300 aircraft. This puts the Baltic airline on track to operate 80 A220s, with plans to reach a hundred of the same model by 2030.
Finally, Lilium Jets, a developer of fully electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, reached an agreement with ArcoJets for the purchase of 10 units.
Summary of the first day of the Dubai Airshow 2023
- Boeing
- SunExpress: 28 Boeing 737-8, 17 Boeing 737-10 and with options for 45 additional Boeing 737 MAX.
- Emirates: 55 Boeing 777-9, 35 Boeing 777-8 and 5 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Also, it modified the original order of 30 Boeing 787-9 to 20 Boeing 787-8 and 10 Boeing 787-10.
- Flydubai: 30 Boeing 787-9.
- EgyptAir: 18 Boeing 737-8 via a leasing agreement with Air Lease Corporation.
- Royal Jordanian: 4 Boeing 787-9.
- Royal Air Maroc: 2 Boeing 787-9.
- Airbus
- airBaltic: 30 Airbus A220-300.
- Lilium
- ArcoJet: 10 eVTOL.
The show continues and, with several days remaining until its conclusion, more announcements will surely come. Boeing anticipates potential deals with Chinese airlines and is waiting for Malaysia Airlines’s decision on new aircraft acquisitions.
Furthermore, a mega order from Turkish Airlines with Airbus is eagerly awaited, which could reach almost 400 aircraft. Embraer is actively seeking a launch customer in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific for its versatile KC-390 multi-mission transport aircraft.
