Airbus Vs. Boeing: What To Expect At The Dubai Airshow

With the 2025 Dubai Airshow commencing on Monday, November 17, various aircraft from manufacturers and airlines alike have begun arriving at the airshow venue in Dubai. While various organizations will be present at this event, showcasing their products and services, the two companies that are guaranteed to draw the most attention would be the two largest aircraft manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing.

The two manufacturers will be represented at the airshow by themselves, but also by their customers, and in the coming week, several announcements can be expected, including new aircraft orders, some of which are already rumored, or customers firming up their previously optioned orders.

Some Orders Are Already Rumored

The Dubai Airshow 2025 next week, becomes the perfect venue for manufacturers and airlines to display the best of their products, but also sign new deals and agreements for the future. Undoubtedly, the two manufacturers that are expected to headline announcements across the week will be Airbus and Boeing. While the announcements will be made during the week, there are already rumors of aircraft orders among airlines and the two OEMs.

A headline-grabbing order is naturally expected from Dubai’s home-carrier, Emirates, and in recent days, there have been reports that the carrier is in advanced stages of negotiations with the European manufacturer, Airbus, for an order of up to 30 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. Parallelly, its sister-carrier flydubai, according to reports from Bloomberg, is rumored to announce an order of 200 narrowbody aircraft, with options for an additional 100 jets as options at the airshow. While the carrier has an existing fleet and order book exclusively consisting of Boeing aircraft, reports indicate the airline CEO visited Airbus HQ in Toulouse a few weeks ago.

Bloomberg reported the following statement from flydubai CEO, Ghaith Al Ghaith,

“We are always assessing our fleet requirements to support flydubai’s growth strategy and future operational needs,”

“We are in continuous discussion with our partners and assessing various options.”

Which Airbus & Boeing Aircraft Are Expected To Be Present?

With the airshow set to host over 200 aircraft from various manufacturers, airlines, militaries, and more, both Airbus and Boeing are also set to display the best of their products. These include the following:

These aircraft from the manufacturers will be complemented by other Airbus and Boeing aircraft operated by various customers of the type, such as Emirates, displaying its A380, A350, and Boeing 777, flydubai displaying its Boeing 737 MAX 8, and Etihad Airways showcasing its brand new A321LR aircraft, among others. Apart from the passenger aircraft, operators such as Aquiline, Aloula, ROYALJET, and SolitAir Holding displaying aircraft types such as the Boeing 747F, 737 MAX 8, 737BBJ, and 737-800F, respectively.

However, it is very much possible for a customer to order an aircraft type not on showcase, and a good example of this would be the recent report stating the UAE’s second full-service carrier, Etihad, is potentially looking to order a new aircraft type for its future fleet, the Airbus A330neo.

Recap: The 2023 Airshow & The Past 24 Months

The previous Dubai Airshow took place in November of 2023, and when considering that single week, based on the number of aircraft secured between the two manufacturers, Boeing definitely comes out on top with the American OEM securing orders of 295 aircraft, while Airbus only secured orders for 86 aircraft. It is also worth noting that in the past 24 months, Boeing has been increasing its aircraft production rates, especially when it comes to its 737 MAX line.

However, there is a lot that has not changed in the past 24 months, which includes supply chain issues that are impacting the delivery timelines for both manufacturers. While Boeing has still not managed to get the 777-9, 737 MAX 7, and MAX 10 aircraft types certified, Airbus’s A320 and A220 aircraft are still suffering from the impacts of the issues caused by the Pratt & Whitney engines, resulting in several aircraft of these types across various fleets around the world being grounded.

Ultimately, among all the exciting announcements that are anticipated to be made throughout the course of the next week, it is important to remember that the orders received during this single week will not represent how the manufacturers have been performing throughout the course of the entire year, as both OEMs have accumulated several significant orders across the past 11 months.