Dubai-based airline Emirates announced Wednesday it has finalized a deal to purchase 30 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner planes.
According to UPI.com, the agreement was announced at the Dubai Air Show by executives from Boeing and Emirates and is worth a reported $8.8 billion at current list prices, before the typical discount for larger orders.
As part of the deal, Emirates is reducing its previous order of Boeing 777x planes by 30 and replacing them with 787-9 Dreamliners. The mid-size, wide-body 787-9 is a larger and longer-range version of Boeing’s Dreamliner, and the aircraft seat between 242 and 330 passengers in a two-class layout.
“We are excited to finalize this important order from one of the world’s leading airlines,” Boeing President Stanley Deal said in a statement. “Our agreement solidifies Emirates’ plan to operate the 787 Dreamliner and the 777X, which make up the most efficient and most capable wide-body combination in the industry.”
“It is an honor to build on our successful partnership with Emirates and continue to sustain many jobs at Boeing and our supplier partners,” Deal continued.
The deal comes at an ideal time for Boeing, which has taken a massive hit since two deadly crashes killed 346 people and grounded the manufacturer’s entire 737 MAX fleet. Boeing expects to have the MAX fleet cleared to fly again in the coming months.
In total, Boeing has agreed over the last several days to five 787 Dreamliner sales and three orders for the 737 MAX planes.
“This is an important investment and addition to our future fleet and network requirements, providing us the agility, flexibility and spread of seat segments when it comes to overall capacity to serve a range of destinations as we develop and grow our global route network,” Emirates CEO HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said in a statement. “This also reflects Emirates’ continued efforts to provide the best quality air transport services to our customers.”
