Etihad Airways Orders Boeing 777X & 787

Etihad Airways has purchased more Boeing aircraft as part of a significant deal announced between the UAE and the U.S.

The White House Fact Sheet viewed by Reuters confirms that Etihad Airways has committed to 28 widebody aircraft from the American planemaker.

The deal includes a reporting of 28 Boeing 787 and Boeing 777x jets to elevate the Abu Dhabi-based carrier’s long-haul fleet capabilities.

The purchase comes just days after Qatar Airways committed to more Boeing aircraft with the largest widebody aircraft order for the maufaucuter and airline in history.

The aircraft, which are to be powered by GE engines, are considered to be yet another win for the United States, which has conducted trade talks across the Middle East in recent days and picked up significant new commercial aircraft orders.

Talk of the airlines’ possible purchase of a new widebody aircraft first emerged in October 2024 when reporting suggested that the 777X or A350 were candidates for the airlines’ business.

Long-haul flying is important, and Etihad Airways needs a balance of high-capacity and medium-capacity widebody aircraft to help meet demand.

Unfortunately, ultra-high-capacity aircraft are no longer being produced, and those that are currently available have experienced colossal delays in either their delivery or even obtaining certification.

A New Era For Etihad Airways

For Etihad Airways, the new aircraft purchase aligns with its intent to continue growing as it approaches 2030. Thus, the Journey 2030 endeavour aims to overhaul the business and put greater emphasis on the airline’s growth.

To ensure growth can be achieved, Etihad Airways firmly believes that a new aircraft purchase was always going to be required. Now, the 777x and 787 have been selected as the optimal choice to enhance long-haul flying across the future decades.

The purchase of new commercial aircraft at Etihad Airways will always be scrutinised much more closely than for other businesses, given the airline’s history, which attempted to expand in the 2010s but nearly crumbled.

A horrid expansion that focused on growing too quickly resulted in too many planes being on order and shocking investments in failing airlines, leaving the carrier bleeding money and forced to enter restructuring.

Now, Etihad Airways will be attempting to find sustainable growth methods, and this latest aircraft purchase is seen as important in achieving those growth targets moving forward.