Dubai-based Emirates Airline has placed an $18bn order for 50 Boeing 777s, the aircraft maker’s largest single commercial plane order, at the Dubai Airshow on Sunday.
The carrier, which is ramping up its expansion as it looks to rival European and Asian airlines, also has options for an additional 20 777s valued at $8bn.
“We have an ambitious and strategic plan to continue growing our international network and especially increasing our long-haul, non-stop routes. This order supports our fleet expansion and reiterates our commitment to operating a modern fleet for the benefit of our passengers and to ensure operational efficiency as well,” His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline & Group, said in a statement.
Emirates is the world’s largest operator of the 777s with a fleet of 97 and a backlog of 41 777-300ERs currently on order. Boeing’s current order book for the twin-aisle commercial jetliner stands at 182, it said in a statement.
Sheikh Ahmed said that the new planes would be financed via a mixture of EU and US export credit, commercial asset-backed debt and Islamic finance products.
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