The 18th edition of the biennial Dubai Airshow held from 13-17 November will definitely be one for the books. The Dubai World Central (DWC), Dubai Airshow Site hosted more than 1,400 exhibitors. As day one of the show commenced, there was an expectant vibe of optimism about what was to follow. None of that was misplaced as a few hours after the doors to the event opened, Emirates stepped forward to deliver a mega announcement. In a deal worth a whopping US$52 billion, it placed an order for 95 Boeing widebody aircraft including 55 777-9s and 35 777-8s, taking Emirates’ 777X order book to a total of 205 units. Additionally, it ordered five more Dreamliners adding to its previous order for 30 Dreamliners that it had placed at the 2019 edition of the same airshow.
While global aviation newswires were still red hot with the updates of the US$52 billion deal, fellow Dubai-based carrier flydubai didn’t waste any time in coming out with its announcement that it too had placed a US$11 billion order for 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. What made this announcement monumental was not just the value of the deal, but the fact that flydubai for the very first time in its history had placed an order for widebody aircraft.
Until now, the all-Boeing carrier operated a fleet of 80 737 aircraft which includes 30 Next-Generation 737-800s, 47 737 MAX 8s and three 737 MAX 9s. Deliveries of its latest widebody aircraft are expected to commence from 2026, and flydubai added that it has an order backlog of more than 130 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to be delivered by 2035. In an exclusive interview with Business Traveller along the sidelines of the show, Ghaith Al Ghaith, chief executive officer at flydubai, reflected on the decision to venture into the widebody territory. “It’s a sign of maturity for us at flydubai. It shows that after 15 years of our operations – and 18 years until we get [the new widebody] aircraft – we have come of age and are mature enough to expand.” Flydubai has been a staunch Boeing-only operator until now, but could Airbus be considered in the future? “We are very honoured by the support that we get from Boeing. We are always open-minded to acquiring Airbus [aircraft]…it’s a fantastic aircraft. Unfortunately, we have never been lucky enough to strike the right deal [with Airbus]. But in the future, you never know,” said Al Ghaith leaving the door wide open for the possibility for Airbus to eventually make its way into its fleet.
While Boeing bagged those major deals, Airbus too got into the game by securing big-ticket contracts at the Dubai Airshow 2023. The flag carrier of Latvia, Air Baltic, ordered 30 A220-300s and will therefore become the largest A220 operator in Europe. The airline already has a fleet of 42 A220-300s, making it currently the world’s biggest A220-300 operator.
Airbus also had reason to celebrate with orders from among this region’s carriers. EGYPTAIR ordered 10 A350-900s. Emirates was next to confirm an order for 15 Airbus A350-900s in a deal worth US$6 billion. The first A350s will enter Emirates’ active fleet in August 2024, and its order book of 65 units of that aircraft type means that deliveries of it will continue until early 2028. Emirates already operates nearly 90 A380s from its fleet, with the airline saying that more are expected to enter active service over the next few months.
Other major airlines from the region including Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways participated too. Qatar Airways brought a trio of its aircraft –its latest Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, the Airbus A350-1000 (it was the global launch customer for the A350), and the Gulfstream G650ER. Qatar Executive has a total of 15 G650ERs in its fleet making it the world’s largest owner and single commercial operator of this ultra-long-range capable aircraft. Both the A350 and 787-9 showcased at the airshow had a two-class configuration with first class being booted out as the airline now focuses on its QSuite business product.
Etihad which celebrated its 20th founding anniversary in the same month as the airshow also showcased its brand-new 787-9 Dreamliner, the first of two more Dreamliners which are set to join its fleet this year, and that like Qatar Airways, also has a two-class configuration.
Saudi Arabia’s presence meanwhile was led by its flag carriers including the newly-rebranded Saudia and Riyadh Air. Saudia signed a cooperation agreement with Riyadh Air at the airshow. That deal includes an interline and codeshare agreement that will allow guests to connect between routes operated by either Riyadh Air or Saudia. The agreement also seeks to synergise the loyalty programmes of both carriers.
For the Public Investment Fund-backed Riyadh Air, it was the airline’s first outing at the airshow and although there was feverish speculation that it would place its first order for narrowbody aircraft (having earlier this year committed to initially buying 39 Dreamliner 787-9s, with options for another 33), that deal didn’t materialise. However, it unveiled the second of its permanent dual-livery designs at the show. The second livery will see its aircraft with a lavender and indigo paint combination that contrasts with its light iridescent fuselage.
Another first-time participant at the show was Beond Airlines which has shaken up the luxury travel space by introducing a new concept wherein its aircraft have only one cabin type – all-lay-flat seats. The airline, last month, commenced flights between Riyadh to Maldives using its Airbus A319 with this new cabin configuration. It has already announced further services from Zurich, Munich, Milan, and Dubai to Male and said that it aims to grow its fleet to 32 aircraft and serve a total of 60 destinations within the next five years.
At the current rate that airlines in the Middle East are acquiring aircraft, the need to develop an infrastructure that supports the maintenance, repairs and operations of these aircraft has become crucial. Responding to that need, Emirates announced a US$950 million investment to build a 1 million sqm engineering facility at Dubai World Central for its aircraft, with Emirates noting that spare capacity at the facility can be possibly offered to other airlines as well.
Separately, to further the operational efficiency of its A380s, Emirates signed deals with several entities totalling US$1.5 billion. Among them, Honeywell will provide carbon brakes and wheels for 116 A380s while Safran Landing Systems will deliver exclusive services for its A380 nose landing gear and Pratt and Whitney will maintain and support the airline’s PW980 Auxiliary Power Units.
Flydubai too said that it plans to have a purpose-built US$190 million MRO facility in Dubai South by 2026. Those plans complement its recent decision to open a US$56 million Full-Flight Simulator (FFS) and Training Facility with six simulator bays on the premises of its flydubai campus in Dubai. The facility, which will open by 2025, will offer more than 43,000 training hours a year for pilots flying its Boeing 737 aircraft.
The Dubai Airshow 2023 has shown that the Middle East’s aviation market is not just thriving, but in many ways it is outshining several global peer markets by virtue of its competitiveness and the speed with which it is expanding.
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In an exclusive interview with Business Traveller, Timothy Hawes, managing director at Tarsus Middle East, organisers of Dubai Airshow 2023, takes stock of this year’s edition.
What was the scale of Dubai Airshow 2023?
Dubai Airshow 2023 marked a historic milestone as the largest edition since the event’s inception in 1989. The 18th edition highlighted the aerospace, space and defence industry’s commitment to advancement, breaking the record with more than US$101 billion in deals announced during the week. It also welcomed over 1,400 exhibitors from more than 95 countries, and 135,053 attendees, witnessing a remarkable 30 per cent increase compared to the previous edition.
Which were some of its biggest highlights this year?
Some of the most notable deals included Emirates placing an order worth US$52 billion for 95 additional Boeing widebody aircraft on the opening day of the event. Ethiopian Airlines signed an MoU for 11 additional Airbus A350-900s, confirming its position as Africa’s biggest A350 customer, and it also announced an order of 11 787-9 Dreamliners and 20 737 MAX 8 aircraft, with options for 15 and 21 additional aircraft, respectively.
Further orders were made by Air Baltic, for an additional 30 A220-300s, and flydubai announced an agreement to purchase 30 787-9 Dreamliners, among other significant deals. Meanwhile, Tawazun Council, the independent government entity that works closely with the Ministry of Defence, signed Dhs23.06 billion worth of contracts with local and international companies.
What is the size of the commercial aviation market within this region?
The Middle East has one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world set to grow from an estimated US$62.5 billion in 2023 to US$72.07 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 2.89 per cent during the forecast period. While the UAE and Saudi Arabia account for a major share of this, the growth across the wider region was reflected in the deals and announcements made at the airshow, with a number of airlines planning to expand their fleets to keep up with passenger demand. Dubai Airports also leveraged the event as a platform to announce its 2023 forecast, which will see Dubai International traffic hitting 86.8 million.
What are your predictions for the growth of this sector, especially in Saudi Arabia?
Dubai Airshow has established itself as the largest and most successful airshow in the world, building its reputation by connecting aerospace professionals across all areas of the industry. As our biggest edition to date, it was fantastic to see participation from industry players across the globe, including from Saudi Arabia as its local aviation market continues to expand. The event saw Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new world-class airline wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), make its Dubai Airshow debut with a series of major announcements. This included the unveiling of the second of its permanent dual-livery designs, and the signing of an expansive agreement with Saudia, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, to include codeshare flights.
What were the strongest themes in aviation that you witnessed at the airshow?
The 18th edition saw an increased focus on space and future technologies – including advanced aerial mobility – with participation from many major companies, as well as dedicated conference tracks featuring panel discussions, interviews and workshops to explore the future of aerospace from key industry leaders. The UAE Space Agency used the event as a platform to unveil the timeline of the journey of the MBR Explorer, the spacecraft for the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt. Meanwhile, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority signed an MoU with EANAN, a UAE technology company leading the next evolutionary step in transportation through advanced aerial mobility, to support research that ensures the safety and security of unmanned heavy cargo and vertical take off and landing aircraft in Dubai, by improving the regulatory framework for unmanned aerial vehicles.
