Planes have been flying off the shelves at the Dubai Airshow, with Gulf airlines ordering more than 400 jets from Airbus and Boeing — a clear sign of how aviation remains a central part of regional economic growth plans.
Emirates set the pace with orders for 65 Boeing 777 aircraft, worth $38 billion at list prices, followed by a deal for eight Airbus A350 aircraft. Its no-frills sister company Flydubai announced deals for 150 Airbus A321neo aircraft — the airline’s first order from the European supplier — as well as firm options for 150 Boeing 737 MAX jets. Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways also boosted its fleet with 32 Airbus aircraft, while Bahrain’s Gulf Air plans to buy up to 18 Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
Carriers are also smartening up their existing planes, while waiting for new deliveries which can take years to arrive. Emirates and Flydubai are rolling out Starlink Wi-Fi connections across their fleets; Etihad is doing something similar with Viasat. Emirates is also setting up a facility in Dubai to manufacture 1,000 business class seats a year.