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The world’s biggest long-haul carrier just made a jumbo order. Emirates said it would buy $38 billion worth of Boeing 777-9 aircraft, and 130 GE Aerospace GE9X engines that power the jets. The deal, announced at the biennial Dubai Airshow, will boost Emirates’ order book to 367 Airbus and Boeing planes. “This is a massive long-term commitment to US aerospace manufacturing, generating support for hundreds of thousands of high-value manufacturing jobs in the US,” Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, chairman and CEO of Emirates, said on Monday. The company expects to receive Boeing aircraft up to 2038.
Emirates had a record pre-tax profit of $3.3 billion for the first half of its fiscal year as more passengers paid for premium cabins. The Dubai carrier expects revenue to grow as more Airbus A350 jets join its fleet this year.
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The Dubai carrier also said it will begin providing Starlink service this month and equip its entire 232-plane fleet over the next two years. The high-speed Wi-Fi will be free across all cabins, letting passengers make calls, work, and stream on seatback screens or personal devices.
Inflight connectivity has become the latest front in the Gulf carriers’ amenities race. As aviation plays a growing role in their economies, airlines are using comfort and tech to keep transit passengers loyal — and to attract more tourists to the concerts, hotels, and malls in Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Dubai.