Dubai Airshow 2025: Day 3 Roundup

At the Dubai Airshow 2025 Emirates ordered eight more A350-900s, taking its A350 commitment to 73 (13 delivered) and—combined with a prior 65-aircraft 777-9 order—bringing its widebody list-price commitments at the show to $41.4 billion and a total orderbook of 375 latest widebodies, underscoring aggressive fleet expansion. UAE partner flydubai announced multiple commercial and product deals: Boeing will provide pilot and maintenance training, its incoming 30 Boeing 787-9s will feature a three-class layout with premium economy and Panasonic Avionics’ Astrovia IFE, and it signed an MoU for 75 Boeing 737 MAXs (plus 75 options) valued at about $13 billion at list prices, complementing an earlier MoU for 150 A321neos (plus 100 options). Airbus also secured smaller but strategic wins—two additional A350Fs for Silk Way West (bringing its A350F commitment to four) and an MoU with Buraq Air for 10 A320neos—highlighting sustained demand that will expand Gulf connectivity and keep Airbus and Boeing locked in competition for large fleet modernisation programs.

Analysis

Emirates signed for eight additional Airbus A350-900s, taking its A350 commitment to 73 units (13 delivered) and, combined with a prior 65-aircraft Boeing 777-9 order, bringing Dubai Airshow list-price widebody commitments to $41.4 billion and a total of 375 latest widebodies on the carrier's orderbook, per CEO Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum. flydubai announced four show-day items: Boeing training agreements for flight and maintenance crews, confirmation that its incoming 30 Boeing 787-9s will have a three-class layout with premium economy and Panasonic Avionics' Astrovia IFE, and a Memorandum of Understanding for 75 Boeing 737 MAXs plus 75 options valued at $13 billion at list prices, complementing an earlier MoU for 150 A321neos with 100 options. Airbus secured follow-on, smaller commitments — two additional A350Fs for Silk Way West (bringing its A350F total to four) and an MoU with Buraq Air for 10 A320neos — reinforcing demand for fleet renewal in the region. These deals materially support OEM order books and Gulf connectivity, create short- to medium-term delivery and production implications for Boeing and Airbus, and are subject to the usual caveats that list prices overstate cash values and MoUs/options are not firm orders; investors should monitor conversion, delivery timing and airline financing as potential risk triggers.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Investors should consider increasing exposure to Boeing (BA) given the positive BA-specific sentiment and flydubai's 75-aircraft MoU plus training agreements, while sizing positions to reflect MoU and option conversion risk
• Maintain selective exposure to Airbus as confirmed A350 and A320neo commitments (Emirates, Silk Way West, Buraq Air) underpin sustained demand, but avoid assuming list-price revenues and watch margin impacts on smaller deals
• Monitor conversion of MoUs/options to firm orders, delivery schedule updates and airline financing announcements as near-term catalysts and adjust or hedge positions if cancellations, delays or adverse financing terms emerge