Boeing Vs Airbus: Who Dominated This Year's Dubai Airshow?

The Dubai Airshow 2025 is now entering its final day, with a whole host of major announcements already taking place earlier in the week. This has included marquee orders with both Airbus and Boeing from several airlines. In the lead-up to the show, many speculated on which planemaker would have the more successful week, with both rumored to have large order announcements in the pipeline.

Boeing secured significant orders on both the narrowbody and widebody front, the most notable being a $38 billion order from Emirates for more Boeing 777-9s announced on Day One. Airbus also had a successful airshow, unveiling a milestone MoU with flydubai for 150 Airbus A321neos, along with other significant widebody commitments from Air Europa and Etihad Airways. But which manufacturer had the better airshow?

Airbus Secures Marquee Narrowbody Order

Credit: Airbus

The European planemaker had a roaring start to Day Two of the airshow, sealing one of its largest-ever narrowbody commitments with an MoU for 150 A321neos signed with home carrier flydubai. This agreement — valued at $24 billion according to list prices — will see the first deliveries take place in 2031, representing the first-ever Airbus order from all-Boeing carrier flydubai. The MoU includes options for an additional 100 aircraft, which will make flydubai one of the world’s largest A321neo operators.

Airbus also secured a bumper widebody order from Middle Eastern airline Etihad Airways for the A330neo and A350, including the freighter version, the A350F. Etihad will be inducting a brand-new aircraft type in the A330neo with plans to welcome 15 aircraft into its fleet, including six directly from Airbus and nine through leasing company Avolon. It also added another seven A350-1000s to its existing orderbook, taking it to 27 total orders, as well as bumping up its A350F order by three aircraft to ten freighters on order in total.

Other notable aircraft orders include an MoU from Spanish airline Air Europa for up to 40 A350-900s, going down as Airbus’ biggest widebody order of the week. Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines also added another eight and six A350-1000s, respectively, to their books, along with an MoU from Libyan airline Buraq Air for 10 A320neos. Excluding options, Airbus has taken home over 200 aircraft orders at the airshow, the majority of which are narrowbody aircraft.

Boeing Brings In Big Widebody Orders

Credit: Emirates

US manufacturer Boeing kicked off the airshow with a major joint announcement with Emirates — revealing an order for 65 additional 777-9s valued at $38 billion — the largest single order placed at the airshow. This takes Emirates’ total commitment for the Boeing 777X to 270 aircraft, which is almost half of all orders for the two passenger versions, the 777-8 and 777-9.

But the real story of this order was the news that Emirates has been pushing Boeing for feasibility studies of a stretched 777-10 variant, which would eclipse the 777-9 as the world’s largest twinjet passenger jet. However, it appears the Dubai-based carrier is moving away from its interest in the 777-8, a move that could spell uncertainty for the variant’s future.

With Airbus pushing ahead on Day Two, particularly its coup of luring flydubai away from Boeing exclusivity, the US planemaker bounced back on Day Three with an important MoU for 75 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft placed by none other than flydubai. This will give the Dubai low-cost carrier a mixed narrowbody fleet by next decade, along with its new 787 Dreamliners, which are slated for delivery from 2027. Boeing also secured two more 737 MAX deals with Air Senegal and Ethiopian Airlines, along with three additional 787 orders from Gulf Air.

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Who Dominated The Dubai Airshow 2025?

Credit: Emirates

Calling a winner at this year’s Dubai Airshow is a lot tougher than the previous edition, which took place in 2023. Two years ago, Boeing ran away with it, securing orders for an impressive 295 aircraft, while Airbus only managed 86 orders.

But this time around, the numbers are a lot closer. Airbus wins it in terms of pure numbers with over 240 firm orders, the majority of which are for the A320neo family. However, it still managed a number of lucrative widebody deals, notably its agreements with Air Europa and Etihad.

As for Boeing, the planemaker achieved over 160 orders this week, but more widebody aircraft are involved owing to Emirates’ huge 777X commitment. It also received a number of confidence-boosting orders for the 737 MAX, particularly from flydubai, which will buoy the manufacturer moving into 2026.