UAE national carriers place orders for 502 aircraft at the Dubai Airshow 2025

Dubai: Aircraft orders at the Dubai Airshow 2025 continued their steep climb on the fourth day of the event, with total deals reaching Dh418 billion, following the announcement of Dh6.4 billion in new contracts by the Ministry of Defence.

Orders placed by the UAE’s national carriers, both firm commitments and purchase options, rose to more than 502 aircraft, marking one of the most active editions in the show’s history.

According to preliminary estimates, cumulative orders recorded by the Dubai Airshow over its three decades and nineteen editions have now surpassed $1 trillion (Dh3.6 trillion).

The 2025 edition opened with strong commercial momentum. Emirates announced orders for 65 Boeing 777X aircraft, followed by a separate deal for eight Airbus A350s.

Flydubai placed one of the show’s largest orders, committing to 75 Boeing aircraft with another 75 purchase options, in addition to an agreement with Airbus for 250 aircraft, 150 firm and 100 options.

Etihad Airways also expanded its fleet plans by signing for 32 new Airbus aircraft.

By the end of the third day, total commercial and defence deals had exceeded Dh411.6 billion, covering roughly 430 aircraft and 20 military contracts. Commercial aviation alone accounted for 95 aircraft orders on Day 3, compared with 243 on Day 2 and 92 on Day 1.