UAE serves as stage for Boeing, Airbus rivalry Key takeaways from Dubai Air Show 2025

The 2025 Dubai Airshow offered states a platform for collaboration on the sidelines of the exhibition and a chance to explore the latest innovations in aviation, with Azerbaijan signing several major agreements and exploring new ventures with the host nation. While the five-day event showcased a string of important industry developments, the spotlight remained on a heavyweight battle between Boeing and Airbus at the shores of the Persian Gulf.

As the Middle East's largest defence gathering concluded on November 21, a total of 132 firm aircraft orders were recorded, alongside MoUs covering a further 275 planes, according to an article by The Aviation Brief.

Boeing dominated the widebody segment with a massive contract from the host nation’s national carrier, Emirates, while Airbus took the lead on overall volume with narrowbody commitments and strategically significant deals.

The American manufacturer captured headlines with a $38 billion agreement with Emirates for 65 Boeing 777-9s, restoring its widebody momentum and signaling strong long-term confidence from the UAE carrier despite ongoing certification delays.

Another Emirati airline, Flydubai, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Boeing for 75 737 MAX jets, with options for an additional 75 units.

Other notable orders included Gulf Air finalizing its purchase of 15 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, a strategic move to expand medium- and long-haul operations. Ethiopian Airlines, which suffered a Boeing plane crash in 2019, committed to 11 more 737 MAX jets, while Air Sénégal ordered nine of the same model.

The article notes that the Emirates widebody deal anchors Boeing’s position in the Gulf, while regional and narrowbody orders demonstrate the company’s continued strength in emerging markets.

However, the figures do not ensure clear dominance for Boeing, as Airbus led in overall volume and strategic depth.

Emirates ordered eight additional A350-900s worth $3.4 billion, indicating the airline’s continued reliance on both Boeing and Airbus to shape its post-A380 fleet.

Flydubai made a historic shift by signing an MoU for 150 A321neo jets, marking the first major Airbus order for the airline, which had operated an all-Boeing fleet since its inception, and a breakthrough for Airbus in the Gulf narrowbody market.

Etihad placed orders for 16 Airbus models, while Ethiopian Airlines added six A350-900s, cementing its status as the largest A350 operator in Africa.

With additional orders at the show, Airbus closed with 32 firm widebody orders and MoUs for 40 widebody and 160 narrowbody aircraft.

Other notable news from airshow

Beyond headline-grabbing deals, the Airshow offered insights into the future of aviation, including industrial localisation and urban air mobility.

The Chinese narrowbody COMAC C919 made its first appearance outside East Asia with static and flying displays. While no new business was secured, its presence signals China’s intent to challenge the Boeing–Airbus duopoly in single-aisle aircraft. As Emirates President Tim Clark observed, “The Chinese are here today. I think that’s a good thing.”

For industry observers, the C919’s presence was as much geopolitical signalling as commercial ambition, highlighting a new entrant moving into a market segment that drives global airline growth.

Emirates furthered its fleet support strategy by signing an MoU with Rolls-Royce to bring Trent 900 Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul work in-house starting in 2027. The deal is a major step for the UAE’s high-value aerospace ambitions, allowing Emirates to service engines for its own A380 fleet locally. Emirates also extended its TotalCare support agreement for the Trent 900 into the 2040s, reflecting a long-term commitment to the A380 and Dubai’s strategy to anchor more of the aviation supply chain within the country.

Connectivity also emerged as a competitive frontier at the event, with Emirates and Flydubai formalizing their adoption of Starlink’s low-Earth-orbit inflight Wi-Fi. For Emirates, this aligns with broader cabin modernization efforts to deliver higher speeds and lower latency across its future fleet.

Electric air-taxi company Joby Aviation created one of the show’s most photographed moments by completing a piloted, point-to-point eVTOL flight across Dubai. The city’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has granted Joby exclusive rights to operate air taxis in the Emirate for six years, with a launch expected in Q1 2026.

In keeping with Dubai’s commitment to scaling commercial aerial mobility, the RTA announced that the first aerial taxi vertiport near Dubai International Airport is 60% complete, alongside the development of three additional vertiports in partnership with Emaar, Atlantis The Royal, and Wasl.

By Nazrin Sadigova