ISTANBUL

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

Emirates is Boeing's largest customer for wide-body jets, and the new order brings the airline's overall order book with Boeing to 315 wide-body aircraft, the airline said in a statement.

It marks a "massive" long-term commitment to US aerospace manufacturing, generating support for hundreds of thousands of high-value manufacturing jobs in the US over the life of the programs, according to the statement.

The firm said the Boeing 777-9 aircraft is powered by GE 9X engines, bringing Emirates' order book with GE Aerospace to 540 units.

Emirates stated that the new deal also provides significant support for Boeing’s feasibility study to develop the 777-10, a larger variant of its 777X family, with the airline signing options to convert its current 777-9 order into the 777-10 or the 777-8.

"Emirates is already the world’s largest Boeing 777 operator and we are expanding our commitment to the programme today with additional orders worth US $38 billion for 65 Boeing 777-9s, and 130 GE9X engines. This is a long-term commitment and testament to our partnership with Boeing and GE, and to US aerospace," Emirates' CEO Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said.

Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said: "Boeing has been a proud supporter of Emirates over the past 40 years as the airline has grown into one of the world’s leading carriers and developed a reputation for excellence and innovation. We look forward to growing our partnership and for Emirates to fly Boeing airplanes for decades to come.”

The airline added that following today's order, Emirates expects Boeing aircraft deliveries until 2038.

Opening its doors for the 19th time on Monday, Dubai Airshow 2025 welcomes more than 1,500 participants from 115 countries.

The fair, which is one of the largest aerospace events in the world, hosts more than 1,500 participating organizations, including 440 companies participating for the first time this year. Additionally, 490 military and civilian delegations from 115 countries are participating.