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The Dubai Airshow is taking place from Nov. 13-17, featuring 1,400 exhibitors from 95 countries and over 180 aircraft. This year, the Dubai World Center is filled with aviation industry members and leading companies discussing defense, sustainability and resulting in billions of dollars in aircraft orders. From a strong number of aircraft orders, sustainable innovation and the introduction of urban air mobility infrastructure and technology, here is what to expect from the 2023 Dubai Airshow. Boeing
On Nov. 12 Boeing shared that it forecasts that widebody airplanes will make up 45 percent of deliveries to the Middle East airlines over the next 20 years. Boeing said the region's fleet of freighters is expected to more than double to 180 jets by 2042.
"Airlines in the Middle East have increasingly expanded their influence and reach, transforming the region into an international air transit hub," said Darren Hulst, Boeing vice president, Commercial Marketing. "Air travel and cargo demand continue to gain momentum, driven by significant economic growth and national development plans. As airlines in the region will require efficient and versatile fleet solutions, Boeing products will be ready to meet market demands."
Within the first two days of the Dubai Airshow, Boeing had amassed billions of dollars in jet orders, from Dubai and abroad. Emirates, the world's largest 777 operator, placed an order for 90 777X planes, including 55 777-9 and 35 777-8 jets. Emirates' first Boeing 777 order was in 1992 and since then the airline has grown its fleet to nearly 150 777 jets. The new order increases the Emirate 777X family backlog to 205 planes, announced at a signing event on Monday. Emirates also updated its 787 Dreamliner order book to align with future demand. The airline is buying five additional 787 jets, growing its 787 backlog to 35, and converting 30 787-9s to 20 787-8 and 10 787-10 planes.
"Emirates is the biggest operator of Boeing 777 aircraft, and today's order cements that position," said HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, of Emirates Airline and Group. "We've been closely involved in the 777 program since its start-up until this latest generation of 777X aircraft. The 777 has been central to Emirates' fleet and network strategy of connecting cities on all continents non-stop to Dubai. We are pleased to extend our relationship with Boeing and look forward to the first 777-9 joining our fleet in 2025."
Dubai-based air carrier flydubai ordered 30 787-9 Dreamliners, diversifying its fleet by introducing widebody jets. With the order of 787 aircraft, flydubai hopes to open new routes and increase capacity for existing routes. The company currently operates an all-737 fleet of 79 airplanes with an order backlog of 137 737s.
Along with the orders from within Dubai, other countries were looking to Boeing to boost their fleet. SunExpress, a joint venture of Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa entered an agreement to purchase up to 90 fuel-efficient single-aisle Boeing jets. The leading leisure carrier in Turkey will double its fleet in the next decade. The agreement includes 28 737-8 and 17 737-10 models, with an opportunity for up to 45 additional 737 MAX planes. This will build on its previous order of 42 737-8s, nine of which have been delivered. Royal Air Maroc of Morocco placed a repeat order for 787 Dreamliners, confirming two 787-9s on the order book. This increases Royal Air's widebody count with a mix of 787-8s and 787-8s over the last nine years. SCAT Airlines of Kazakhstan ordered seven 737-8 planes, nearly doubling the SCAT 737 fleet as the growing airline plans to open new routes to European destinations. Ethiopian Airlines agreed to order 11 787 Dreamliners and 20 737 MAX airplanes with the opportunity for 15 and 21 additional jets. Royal Jordanian announced an order for four 787-9 Dreamliner jets, reconfirming a previous order for two 787-9s and bringing the total backlog to six.
With two days and nearly $100 billion in orders, Boeing also had announcements regarding sustainability. Boeing and Zero Petroleum announced Tuesday a collaboration to test and analyze the next generation of technology to increase the supply of SAF. As part of Boeing's continued investment in developing SAF globally, Boeing will jointly establish a testing program for Zero's SAF, produced from air and water. The hydrocarbon fuel contains carbon from direct air capture and hydrogen from water electrolysis.
"SAF is our industry's biggest lever in reducing emissions today and into the future, but we need more of it now to enable those reductions," said Sheila Remes, Boeing vice president of Environmental Sustainability. "Working with innovators around the world such as Zero is crucial as we collaborate to develop new, sustainable pathways to produce and scale-up SAF."
Embraer
Embraer announced it would be attending the Dubai Airshow, displaying the Praetor 600 and E195-E2 commercial jet, making a public debut in new livery. The company aimed to show off its capabilities in various sectors of aviation including business, commercial, defense and security. The newest jet from Embraer, the E195-E2, is on display featuring its new Tech Eagle livery, a reflection of the jet's high-tech features, strong performance and low noise. The Praetor 600 is the most technologically advanced in its category.
Along with the two jets, Embraer shared it would be showing off the C-390 Millennium multi-mission military tactical transport aircraft and the A-29 Super Tucano training, aerial interception and surveillance aircraft. Embraer's subsidiary, Eve Air Mobility would be displaying a full-size model of its eVTOL cabin and offering visitors a virtual reality experience of the cabin.RELATED STORY:Embraer to display Praetor 600, E195-E2 jets at Dubai Airshow
"Our strong presence at the Dubai Airshow reflects the Middle East's growing interest in Embraer's products, services high-technology solutions," Embraer President and CEO Francisco Gomes Neto said. "Our constant expansion in the region, as well as in other regions of the world, is a direct result of our increasingly competitive innovation and our ability to satisfy the most diverse customer needs."
On Monday, Eve announced that it had signed a letter of intent with Swedish-based vertiport developer, Kookiejar, for Eve's Urban ATM system to support vertiport operations in Dubai. This was Eve's first Urban ATM agreement in Dubai and Kookiejar became the 10th Urban ATM customer and fifth vertiport customer as Eve begins to grow its customer base. While the agreement is being made, Kookiejar and local partner Air Chateau are preparing to exhibit Dubai's first state-of-the-art vertiport hub facility with eight parking pads and a FATO at Al Maktoum Airport. Eve's Urban ATM product has been adopted into the vertiport hub, adding to a vision for a network of vertiports connected through Eve's system.
"Urban air mobility relies on infrastructure within the lower air space as well as accessible takeoff and landing spots - vertiports," said Rob Weaver, Urban ATM global business development lead at Eve Air Mobility. " Eve's Urban ATM solution provides an integrated suite of software that will enable an efficient and predictable eVTOL ecosystem. In Dubai, we are looking forward to working with KookieJar as they combine expertise in both ground and air infrastructure to design a flexible, sustainable and reliable vertiport network."
Eve announced Tuesday it was accelerating the UAM ecosystem through a collaborative effort with NATS Services to support the development of future traffic management services for UAM operators globally. The signed Memorandum of Understanding will reinforce the partnership between the two companies with a shared goal of making UAM safe and advancing technology for a more rapid and efficient, sustainable urban air transportation system.
On Tuesday Eve also announced it would be working to bring the first electric commuter flights to Bangalore, India with Hunch Mobility, a joint project between Hunch Ventures and Blade Air Mobility. With this, Bangalore will become the launch city in the region for urban air mobility flights using eVTOL aircraft. Eve was the first eVTOL manufacturer to announce an LOI in India with Hunch Mobility's agreement to purchase 200 eVTOLs, services and the Eve Urban ATM system. The companies expect eVTOL flights to have a positive impact on the community and introduce new employment opportunities.
Bombardier
Bombardier announced on Nov. 8 that it would be displaying the class-leading Global 7500 and Challenger 3500 at the Dubai Airshow. Along with the business jets, the Bombardier Defense sales team was said to be on-site to highlight the company's portfolio of versatile aircraft platforms, like the Global 6500 jet. Bombardier Defense has over 500 specialized business aircraft in service globally, accumulating more than three million fleet hours with roughly 160 operators in 50 countries.RELATED STORY:Bombardier bringing Global 7500, Challenger 3500 to Dubai Air Show
"We are pleased to be bringing the uncompromising Challenger 3500 and Global 7500 aircraft to the Dubai Air Show this year, celebrating the Global 7500's recent 150th-built aircraft and impressive new speed records," Bombardier President and CEO Éric Martel said. "The Middle East is an important market for Bombardier both for business jet customers as well as growing defense business. The Bombardier team on site will proudly showcase our impressive defense capabilities and the many multi-mission solutions we can flexibly tailor. We also look forward to showcasing our Challenger and Global platforms to business jet customers, who will benefit from our aircraft's cutting-edge innovation, cabin design, performance, reliability and smooth ride."
Dassault
Since 1973 and the Mirage 5, Dassault has partnered with the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces. Dassault shared that it was honored to be in attendance for the year in which the company celebrates the 50th anniversary of its partnership with the UAE. The UAE Armed Forces currently operates a fleet of Mirage 2000-9s and placed an order for 80 Rafales in December 2021. The Dassault static display features a Rafale C combat aircraft and a Rafale F4 simulator. The Rafale will be part of the daily flying display, presented by the French Air and Space Force, which operates a Rafale detachment deployed at the UAE base of Al Dhafra.RELATED STORY:Dassault to display Falcon 2000LXS, Falcon 10X alongside combat aircraft at Dubai Airshow
Representing Dassault Business Aviation will be a Falcon 2000LXS and the full-scale model of a Falcon 10X cabin in the static park. The widely popular Falcon 2000LXS has evolved into six different versions and has achieved nearly 700 deliveries since it was launched. The Falcon 10X was presented in 2021 and its award-winning design has the jet market eagerly awaiting its entry into service. There are many Falcon aircraft operating within the Middle East. Dubai is a key point in the Falcon support network. A new maintenance center managed by Dassault subsidiary ExecuJet MRO Services opened in 2022 at the new Al Maktoum Airport, replacing the former facilities at the Dubai International Airport.
Gulfstream
Gulfstream announced on Oct. 30 that it would be exhibiting two of its award-winning business jets. The Gulfstream G700 would make its debut alongside the Gulfstream G500. The class-leading G500 was built for performance and efficiency. The jet has been awarded nearly 60 city-pair speed records and is able to fly 5,300 nm at Mach 0.85 and 4,500 nm at Mach 0.90. The G700 has been outperforming previous expectations, increasing range, speed and cabin comfort.RELATED STORY:Gulfstream to exhibit G700, G500 at Dubai Airshow
"Gulfstream has a longstanding history in the Middle East and surrounding regions," said Scott Neal, senior vice president of worldwide sales at Gulfstream. "Recently, we announced a host of increased capabilities across the fleet, and we look forward to meeting with customers and guests at the Dubai Airshow to showcase The Gulfstream Difference with two of these aircraft, firsthand."
Airbus
On Monday, Airbus announced that airBaltic would become the largest A220 customer in Europe after the confirmation of an incremental order for an additional 30 A220-300s. The new order brings the airline's total firm orderbook to 80 aircraft. With a fleet of 44 A220-300s, airBaltic is the largest A220-300 operator in the world, with a history dating back to 2016.
"This day marks a significant milestone in the history of airBaltic - our plans for the first time ever to operate a fleet of 100 aircraft by 2030," airBaltic President and CEO Martin Gauss said. "For almost seven years already, the Airbus A220-300 has been the backbone of our operations and has played an integral role in the international success story of airBaltic. Being the global launch customer of the Airbus A220-300, we continue to be a proud ambassador of it. We are grateful to our partners at Airbus for the incredible support, trust, and collaboration over these years."
The A220-300 is the most modern airliner in its size category and offers 25 percent lower fuel burn and CO2 emissions per seat compared to previous-generation aircraft. It has the largest cabin, seats and windows in its class and offers passengers optimal comfort. The airliner can operate with up to 50 percent SAF and Airbus aims to have all of its aircraft capable of operating with 100 percent SAF by 2030.
EGYPTAIR disclosed an order for 10 of the new Airbus A350-900s at the Dubai Airshow. With the new aircraft in its fleet, EGYPTAIR will have 25 percent less fuel burn, reducing emissions and allowing customers to enjoy the comfortable cabin with ambient lighting, wide seats and high ceilings.
"EGYPTAIR is a key partner of Airbus in the Middle East and Africa," EGYPTAIR Chairman and CEO Yehia Zakaria said. "We take immense pride in this partnership aimed at furthering the aviation industry. Our focus lies in the enhancement of our fleet to embrace some of the most contemporary aircraft available. EGYPTAIR has firmed up an agreement with Airbus to procure 10 A350-900 aircraft, each boasting a capacity of 340 seats. These aircraft come equipped with cutting-edge technologies and Rolls-Royce XWB Trent engines, known for their modern design and reduced fuel emissions and consumption. As we tackle growing demand across our network, this aircraft is the optimal choice."
Only two days into the Dubai Airshow and the market for jets and commercial aircraft is looking strong and the growth in the Middle East looks promising. With billions of dollars in orders and orders across the region, the Airshow is starting out strong.