{"id":109557,"date":"2025-11-18T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/dubai-airshow-day-1-wrap-up-emirates-makes-usd-38-bn-boeing-order-plans-starlink-rollout-edge-ammroc-and-tawazun-eye-international-defense-cooperation\/"},"modified":"2025-11-18T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T00:00:00","slug":"dubai-airshow-day-1-wrap-up-emirates-makes-usd-38-bn-boeing-order-plans-starlink-rollout-edge-ammroc-and-tawazun-eye-international-defense-cooperation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/uae\/2025\/11\/18\/dubai-airshow-day-1-wrap-up-emirates-makes-usd-38-bn-boeing-order-plans-starlink-rollout-edge-ammroc-and-tawazun-eye-international-defense-cooperation\/","title":{"rendered":"Dubai Airshow day 1 wrap-up: Emirates makes USD 38 bn Boeing order, plans Starlink rollout + Edge, Ammroc, and Tawazun eye international defense cooperation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dubai Airshow kicked off yesterday with a bang<\/strong>, with Emirates locking in a massive USD 38 bn order of Boeing aircraft, as well as an agreement to roll out Starlink\u2019s satellite internet across its fleet, Flydubai securing an order of engines, and Tawazun and Edge Group making headway with local and international cooperation agreements.<\/p>\n

EMIRATES + FLYDUBAI-<\/p>\n

Dubai\u2019s flagship carrier Emirates is acquiring 65 jets of Boeing\u2019s 777-9 model<\/strong> for USD 38 bn, according to a statement<\/a>. Boeing will start making deliveries on the order starting 2Q 2027, Emirates Chairman Ahmed Saeed Al Maktoum said. The order will be powered by GE Aerospace\u2019s GE9X engines, with Emirates locking in an agreement for 130 units \u2014 bringing its orderbook of this engine model to 540 units in total. <\/p>\n

Firing up Emirates\u2019 orderbook: <\/strong>Already boasting a 269-jet fleet, the carrier now has a total orderbook of 367 jets \u2014 encompassing 315 widebody models from Boeing (including this order) and 52 Airbus A350-900s. <\/p>\n

The move also supports Boeing\u2019s feasibility study to develop its new 777-10 model<\/strong> \u2014 a larger version of its current 777X family \u2014 with Emirates signing up for options to convert its latest 777-9 order into the awaited 777-10 or the 777-8, Al Maktoum added. <\/p>\n

E<\/strong>mirates will begin receiving deliveries of 777-9s starting 2Q 2027<\/strong>, Emirates said. Boeing has been facing certification delays for its latest jet putting it seven years behind schedule on deliveries. Emirates President Tim Clark has been vocal about the inconvenience the late deliveries have caused, as they pushed the company to invest in a costly retrofit program to extend the lifespan of its current fleet. <\/p>\n

REMEMBER- Airbus is also in the ring for an Emirates order:<\/strong> Airbus has also been linked to talks with Emirates for the purchase of its A350 model, despite Emirates President Tim Clark\u2019s earlier criticism of Airbus\u2019 engines. <\/p>\n

ALSO<\/strong> FROM EMIRATES-<\/strong> Faster Internet for all?<\/strong> Emirates will equip all 232 aircraft in its in-service widebody fleet with SpaceX\u2019s Starlink satellite internet, beginning with Boeing 777s this month and completing the rollout by mid-2027, according to Dubai Media Office<\/a>. This is the first official confirmation of the agreement after months of talks we first reported back in May<\/a>, when Emirates was still navigating certification and regulatory hurdles.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s planned: <\/strong>The airline will install two antennas on each 777 and three on each A380 \u2014 an industry first \u2014 and aims to retrofit about 14 aircraft each month with Starlink. The upgrade will enable high-speed connectivity across all cabins and position Emirates to operate the largest international widebody fleet with Starlink installed.<\/p>\n

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Dubai budget carrier flydubai tapped GE Aerospace for an order of 60 GEnx-1B engines <\/strong>\u2014 set to power the airline\u2019s first widebody fleet<\/a> ordered back in 2023, according to a statement<\/a>. The terms of the agreement include spare engines and long-term service contracts to support flydubai\u2019s launch of long-haul operations. <\/p>\n

More to come from the budget airline? <\/strong>Flydubai is expected<\/a> to announce an order consisting of 200 narrow-body planes, with an option for 100 more sometime during the event. Separate reports from Bloomberg<\/a> and Reuters<\/a> suggest that Airbus and Boeing are both in the lead to land the majority of the order.<\/p>\n

EDGE, AMMROC, AND TAWAZUN- <\/p>\n

#1<\/strong>- <\/strong>Edge<\/strong> and Indra move into European smart weapons: <\/strong>State-owned defense firm Edge Group and Spanish defense systems company Indra Sistemas have signed an MoU to establish a joint venture in Spain focused on developing and manufacturing loitering munitions and smart weapons for Spanish, European, and select international markets, according to a press release (pdf)<\/a>. <\/p>\n

REMEMBER- <\/strong>The move builds on an existing Edge-Indra partnership, announced in March 2024<\/a> and launched that same year in December<\/a>, for radar system development. Later in February<\/a>, Edge Group\u2019s naval arm Abu Dhabi Ship Building inked an agreement with Indra to integrate radar, communications electronic support, and counter-unmanned aerial systems into ADSB\u2019s vessels.<\/p>\n

#2- <\/strong>Ammroc <\/strong>and Boeing partner: <\/strong>The UAE\u2019s dedicated military aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) provider Ammroc and Boeing have inked an MoU to scope out joint work on CH-47 component MRO, Wam<\/a> reports. The MoU lays out a framework to evaluate potential MRO work for selected CH-47 helicopter parts \u2014 including hydraulics, landing gear, electrical and drive-system components \u2014 subject to US State Department export approvals. The exploratory framework leaves space for a formal agreement later.<\/p>\n

#3-<\/strong> UAE defense and security authority Tawazun<\/strong> inked AED 3.8 bn agreements<\/strong> on behalf of the Defense Ministry during the Airshow, with six local contracts worth AED 3 bn and two international contracts totalling AED 725 mn, Wam<\/a> reports.The breakdown:<\/strong> <\/p>\n