Emirates Orders Airbus A350s

Emirates has increased its commitment to the Airbus A350-900 with another order confirmed.

Signed at the 2025 Dubai Airshow, the airline said it would take on an additional eight A350-900 jets, specifically equipped with the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB84 engines.

Thanks to the signing of this deal, Emirates will now bring its total commitment to the A350 family up to 73 units; thus far, just 13 of this model have been delivered.

Emirates confirms that, at list price, today’s deal is worth USD 3.4 billion; however, airlines rarely pay list price. This is rather an indicator of the price point; airlines will typically negotiate hefty discounts with planemakers, those specifics not publicised.

The Emirates A350’s entry into service last November has given us welcome additional capacity. It has also enabled us to introduce Emirates’ latest inflight products to more customers, including our popular Premium Economy seats. We look forward working closely with Airbus on the delivery of our remaining aircraft including the new units that we have ordered today.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group

Under current delivery forecasts, Emirates expects to begin taking delivery of these additional Airbus A350-900 aircraft in 2031, providing essential capacity as the airline moves into the next decade and beyond.

With these Airbus A350 aircraft added to the backlog, there are now 60 deliveries remaining for this aircraft type; however, that is expected to make up just a small part of the mammoth 375 planes still awaiting delivery.

Since taking delivery of these Airbus A350s, not only has it represented the airline’s first new model in some time, but it has also enabled greater ability to serve markets around the world that might not have been within reach with existing models.

Just as the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 benefit airlines’ operations at times, this can also limit the ability to reach specific markets; that’s precisely where a mid-sized widebody such as the A350-900 comes in at the perfect time for the company.

What A Week For Emirates

The latest commitment to the Airbus A350 from the Middle Eastern company represents a massive week of news at Dubai Airshow, from aircraft orders to cabin enhancements and other agreements.

The other headline order came from the airlines’ commitment to the 777-9, which was increased with 65 additional orders of this type to elevate long-haul flying into future decades.

While the 777X remains uncertified to date, the family will be critical to meeting demand moving forward, with hundreds of the type currently on order and awaiting delivery despite the hefty delays encountered.

What Emirates was also able to achieve, thanks to its latest investment, was the vital all-clear that Boeing would begin feasibility studies in the possible launch of another model in the 777X program to be known as the 777-10.

Emirates has been seeking to evolve its long-haul backlog. While the 777-9 and A350-1000 exist, it feels there’s room for larger planes. The latest deal for the 777X, announced on Day 1 of the Dubai Airshow, gave Boeing the confidence to move ahead with studies to determine whether such a model would be feasible.

What happens next remains to be seen, but Boeing will face competition if a new large aircraft is launched, as its fiercest competitor, Airbus, also confirmed at the Dubai Airshow its intent to move forward with studies for an A350 Stretch.