Dubai – GE Aerospace has secured two high-value engine agreements with Dubai-based carriers Emirates Airline and Group and flydubai at the 2025 Dubai Airshow 2025, underscoring the resilience and expansion of the UAE’s aviation sector. Emirates has committed to 130 additional GE9X engines to power 65 new Boeing 777-9 aircraft, bringing its total order for that engine type to more than 540 units. The contract includes spares and long-term service provisions. At the same time, flydubai has agreed to acquire 60 GEnx-1B engines with full support services for its first wide-body fleet of 30 Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
Emirates’ deal with GE not only affirms its status as the largest global customer for the GE9X engine, but also reinforces its long-standing partnership with Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Emirates’ chairman and chief executive, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, described the transaction — valued at US$38 billion at list prices — as “a long-term commitment and testament to our partnership with Boeing and GE”. This investment aligns with Dubai’s wider ambition to develop into a major aerospace hub.
On the flydubai front, the selection of the GEnx-1B engine marks a strategic shift for the carrier, which has historically operated a 737-only fleet. The agreement is structured to support the airline’s entry into long-haul operations and buttresses its network expansion into new markets. flydubai’s chief executive, Ghaith Al Ghaith, noted that engine performance, durability and services will play a critical role as the airline moves into wide-body territory amid intensifying competition and growing demand for air travel through Dubai’s gateway.
The significance of these deals extends beyond fleet numbers. For GE Aerospace the twin contracts cement its dominance in the high-thrust engine market, particularly in a region with challenging operating conditions and high growth potential. The GE9X engine — developed exclusively for the Boeing 777X family — boasts a 10 per cent improvement in specific fuel consumption compared with its predecessor, the GE90-115B, and has been certified to run on approved sustainable aviation fuel blends. The GEnx-1B, likewise, powers a majority of the Boeing 787 fleet and is already deployed widely in long-haul service.
For Emirates, the 65 additional 777-9 airframes raise its total 777X orderbook to 270 units, making it Boeing’s largest customer for that aircraft family. With this deal, the airline has options to convert some of the order to the future 777-10 or 777-8 variants, signalling confidence in the production programme despite earlier certification and delivery delays. The carrier expects deliveries of the initial 777-9 aircraft to begin from the second quarter of 2027. Emirates’ fleet strategy centres on operating a young, modern wide-body fleet aligned with Dubai’s infrastructure expansion.
Flydubai’s expansion into wide-body aircraft, powered by GEnx engines, places the carrier at a pivotal juncture in its evolution. Having grown rapidly in point-to-point markets, reserving its primarily single-aisle fleet for short to medium-haul routes, the move to wide-body aircraft reflects a transition towards intercontinental services. The engine order includes spares and a long-term services agreement, highlighting the importance of lifecycle support and operational reliability in emerging growth trajectories.
The UAE’s positioning as a major aviation hub is reinforced by these developments. The engine orders strengthen the supply-chain footprint in the region, benefit maintenance-, repair-and-overhaul infrastructure, and support the country’s ambition to attract high-value aerospace manufacturing and engineering activities. GE Aerospace announced a US$50 million investment in a new “On Wing Support” facility in Dubai South alongside the shows, underscoring its commitment to local presence.
From an industry-perspective the deals reflect broader trends: airlines placing large long-haul orders amid intense competition for slots and access, engine manufacturers capturing value through integrated services and support, and the Middle East remaining a key battleground for aerospace OEMs seeking growth beyond legacy domestic markets. For Emirates and flydubai, the agreements mark purposeful steps in fleet renewal and network expansion, though execution risks remain — notably aircraft delivery timelines, engine certification, and global economic headwinds.
Analysts caution that while the headline order values are striking, actual transaction prices typically fall beneath list values, and aircraft-programme delays can erode carrier scheduling and capacity planning. For Emirates the 777-9 programme has been subject to repeated postponements, while for flydubai the challenge lies in transitioning from narrow-body operations to wide-body logistics, route infrastructure and long-haul network economics.
