Boeing Outshines Airbus at Dubai Air Show 2023 with 295 Aircraft Orders

Boeing, the American aerospace giant, outperformed its French rival Airbus after four days of intense deal-making at the 2023 Dubai Air Show. This highlighted the strong demand for wide-body jets, marking a significant comeback for Boeing after years of underperformance due to major safety scandals.

Boeing secured nearly three times as many orders as Airbus at the 2023 Dubai Air Show. Boeing chalked up more than 295 new orders by Day 4 worth over $52 billion, while Airbus received 91 orders worth over $16 billion. Airbus faced public concerns regarding the cost and performance of the Rolls-Royce engines on its aircraft.

The strong demand for wide-body jets showcased the optimistic outlook for long-haul air travel demand, signaling a robust recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Boeing’s impressive start at the show included a massive order from Emirates Airline for 90 of its 777 wide-body jets, valued at $52 billion at list prices. This was followed by an $11 billion order from Emirates subsidiary FlyDubai for 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

The strong demand for wide-body jets underscored Dubai’s optimistic outlook for long-haul air travel, as well as the region’s significance in driving demand for these aircraft models. Dubai aimed to defend and expand its market share, considering increasing competition and expansion from carriers in Turkey, India, and Saudi Arabia.

Emirates’ order included 55 additional Boeing 777-9s and 35 of its 777-8s, bringing their total orders for the 777X wide-body jets to 205 units. Emirates also increased its order for Boeing 787 Dreamliners from 30 to 35.

Analysts noted that the prevalence of wide-body jets at the Dubai show reflected the surge in international travel in 2023, favoring Boeing due to its strength in wide-body aircraft. Boeing secured approximately 50% of the total order value in Dubai.

SunExpress, a Turkish-German airline, made the second-largest Boeing order after Emirates, consisting of 56 narrow-body 737-8s and 34 737-10s. Ethiopian Airlines followed with orders for up to 41 737-8s and 26 787-9s, and FlyDubai ordered 30 787-9s. Kazakhstan’s SCAT Airlines ordered seven 737-8s, while Royal Jordanian and Royal Air Maroc ordered four and two 787-9s, respectively.

Airbus faced ongoing discussions and criticism regarding its engines, particularly on the Airbus A350. Airbus orders included 86 aircraft, with the largest order from AirBaltic for 30 narrow-body A220-300s, with an option for 20 more. Ethiopian Airlines ordered 11 wide-body A350-900s, and EgyptAir purchased 10 of the same aircraft.

Emirates, however, ordered only 15 of Airbus’ A350-900 jets, valued at $6 billion, a smaller order than anticipated. Emirates’ president, Tim Clark, expressed concerns about the cost and maintenance of the Rolls-Royce engines on the Airbus A350, suggesting that a more favorable engine performance could lead to a larger order.

In response, Rolls-Royce stated that the A350-900’s XWB-84 engine was the best in terms of efficiency, durability, and reliability.

Despite the impressive performance by Boeing, industry experts anticipate potential future orders for Airbus. Discussions with Turkish Airlines are ongoing, and there could be increased order activity across other airlines, including Saudi Arabia’s newest airline, Riyadh Air, and low-cost carrier Flyadeal, which may be planning to order approximately 150 more narrow-body jets.

The Dubai Air Show, the Middle East’s largest aviation event, takes place every two years and hosted over 1,400 commercial and military exhibitors from 95 countries in 2023.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, boeing.com, reuters.com, cnn.com