Dubai: Etihad Airways announced on Sunday it will order 82 Boeing wide-body aircraft including the next generation 777x series and 787s in a deal worth $25.2 billion (Dh92.5 billion).
James Hogan, Etihad Airways President & Chief Executive Officer, said at a Dubai Airshow press conference that within the deal there is firm order for 56 and purchase rights for a further 26.
The deal includes 25 next generation Boeing 777x aircraft of which 17 are 777-9x and eight 777-8x. Etihad will also take 30 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners as part of the deal. Etihad also ordered one 777-200 freighter.
Boeing sees the Abu Dhabi-based airline as a launch customer for the 777-8x and the largest customer for the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner. Combined with the existing Boeing 787-9 variant. Etihad’s deal includes the 1,000th 787 Dreamliner.
Hogan said “it was a great day to be in the United Arab Emirates” and he said the deal went one step further than the record order made in Farnborough five years ago when Etihad made the largest commercial airline order.
Hogan made the announcement alongside Ray Conner, Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO, and David Joyce, GE Aviation’s President and CEO.
Engines
Etihad also announced it will purchase 127 GE Aviation engines for the 56 Boeing aeroplanes, which includes 57 GE9X engines for the Boeing 777x series and 68 GEnx-1B for the 30 Boeing 787-10 order. Two GE90-115B engines were ordered for the 777-200 freighter.
Hogan said Etihad Airways has signed a 15-year OnPoint solution agreement covering all the engines at total cost of $8 billion.
Etihad is growing its fleet at an annual compound growth rate of 40 per cent, which Hogan said was sustainable.
The order will be used to address expansion and fleet replacement plans.
Including previous orders, Etihad Airways has committed in excess of $40 billion dollars to Boeing and GE. Hogan said the two companies were “important strategic partners” to the airline.
