BOEING yesterday won its single largest commercial aircraft order by value when Emirates, the fast-growing Gulf carrier, announced it would buy at least 50 twin-aisle passenger jets from the US manufacturer.
The order for 50 Boeing 777 long-haul aircraft is worth $18 billion (€13 billion) at list prices, a record contract for the company. Unveiled at the Dubai air show, it provides a much-needed boost for Boeing, which has been trailing Airbus – its arch rival – in the number of orders won this year.
The contract underlines the ambitions of Emirates, the Dubai-based carrier that is rapidly becoming a rival to Asian, European and US airlines. It is set to launch daily flights from Dublin to Dubai from January 9th.
Emirates has a fleet of 162 aircraft and is already the biggest operator of Boeing’s 777 aircraft and Airbus’s A380 superjumbos.
Jim Albaugh, head of Boeing’s commercial aircraft division, said Boeing’s single largest order by value in its 95-year history was an “extremely proud moment”, adding the deal would sustain several thousand jobs in the US.
Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates’ chief executive, said the 777 order was part of the airline’s expansion strategy.
Emirates is expected to pay less than the list price as airlines typically secure discounts on large deals. Boeing’s previous record single order was a 2006 deal with Air-India for 68 aircraft, worth $11 billion at list prices. – (Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2011)
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