Dubai Air Show News
Emirates caps off Dubai Airshow with strategic investments to power growth, and innovation
Emirates capped off a successful Dubai Airshow week, announcing major commitments to expand its fleet, unveiling plans for the latest cabin products and technologies, and forging strategic partnerships to bolster the UAE’s capabilities as an emerging aerospace hub, demonstrating confidence in long-term growth. The airline’s largest-ever display of Airbus A380, A350 and Boeing 777 aircraft attracted over 82,000 visitors throughout the week, with over 15,000 experiencing Emirates’ Starlink high-speed Wi-Fi aboard the Emirates Boeing 777. The airline announced a series of strategic initiatives that support its ambitious plans and Dubai’s D33 goals:
TransFuture Aviation Unveils Vision for the Future of Urban Air Mobility at Dubai Airshow 2025
Amid the pavilions of the Dubai Airshow, TransFuture Aviation CEO Bai Zhiliang, China’s eVTOL pioneer, presented a bold vision for the next era of flight. With the unveiling of its Honghu fully tilt-rotor eVTOL and a comprehensive roadmap for global urban air mobility, the company positioned itself at the forefront of the emerging low-altitude economy.
Riyadh Air Accelerates ‘Pathway to Perfect’ with Landmark Technical, Training, and Travel Agreements
At Dubai Airshow 2025, Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier, today announced a comprehensive suite of technical, training, and travel partnership agreements designed to rapidly scale its operations and enhance the passenger experience. These pivotal collaborations encompass a major expansion of its A321neo fleet support through new engine orders and state-of-the-art pilot simulators, technology and comprehensive maintenance & digital operations for its Boeing 787 Dreamliners. An array of strategic travel MoUs signed with key agencies align to cement Riyadh Air’s position as a digital-native, future-focused airline, contributing to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
flydubai signs MoU for 75 Boeing 737 MAX Airplanes
Boeing and flydubai announced today the airline has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for its fourth 737 MAX purchase. The agreement for 75 orders and 75 options will enable flydubai to modernize its fleet and further expand its growing network.
Gulf Air Increases Boeing 787 Dreamliner Order
Boeing and Gulf Air announced today the airline has finalized a firm order for 15 787 Dreamliners with options for three more as the Bahrain-based carrier looks to further develop its international network. The order adds three Boeing 787s to the airline’s commitment this July(opens in a new tab) and brings Gulf Air’s order book to 17 of the versatile widebody jets. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow by Martin Gauss, chief executive officer of Gulf Air, and Brad McMullen, Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing
Etihad Airways enhances guest experience with expanded Viasat partnership
Etihad Airways will deploy Viasat’s next-generation connectivity solution, Viasat Amara, across its entire fleet as part of its ongoing commitment to deliver a world-class guest experience. The expansion, announced today by the Abu Dhabi-based airline and Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global leader in satellite communications, builds on a successful multi-year collaboration. Onboard Etihad aircraft, Viasat will power high-speed connectivity that enables guests to access streaming subscriptions on personal devices, to view Live TV on the aircraft seatback IFE screens—providing a variety of news and sports channels for guests’ enjoyment—and to utilize applications for social media scrolling, browsing, shopping, and more.
Emirates and flydubai: Rewarding travellers through partnership and enhanced connectivity
The Emirates and flydubai partnership exemplifies industry-leading collaboration, seamlessly connecting millions of travellers across an extensive global network while rewarding Emirates Skywards members through the joint loyalty programme.
Emirates signs MOU with Rolls-Royce to conduct engine MRO on its own A380 fleet from 2027
Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Emirates and Rolls-Royce today at the Dubai Airshow 2025, Emirates will perform Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) for the Trent 900 engines powering its own A380 fleet from 2027. Emirates has also extended the TotalCare service agreement with Rolls-Royce for its A380s into the 2040s. Emirates will build a new facility with the first induction forecast from 2027. Emirates will complete fan case repairs at the facility, and Rolls-Royce will maintain module repair capability within the global network.
flydubai selects GE Aerospace digital solutions to elevate flight safety and pilot performance
flydubai, the Dubai-based carrier, and GE Aerospace (NYSE: GE) announced at the Dubai Airshow an agreement to deploy GE Aerospace’s SaaS advanced flight operations software solutions, Safety Insight and FlightPulse, across its entire fleet. The integration will enable flydubai to improve operations by leveraging advanced analytics to enhance flight safety and efficiency
Emirates and Air Canada to Extend Strategic Partnership with Major, Multi-Year Expansion Agreement
Emirates and Air Canada today announced a commitment to expand and extend their strategic partnership, building on the success of a three-year-old agreement between two of the world’s leading airlines. Since launching their strategic partnership in 2022, the airlines have already served more than 550,000 customers, connecting travellers across 56 codeshare routes linking Canada, the U.S., Dubai and key destinations around the globe. The carriers have signed a memorandum of understanding to extend the reciprocal codeshare and loyalty partnership until December 31, 2032. The renewed agreement will deepen their cooperation, lead to enhanced services for customers and cargo shippers, and create the potential for new gateways within Canada in the codeshare network.
Emirates and South African Airways enhance codeshare agreement, building on 28 years of partnership
Building on almost three decades of strong and successful partnership, Emirates and South African Airways are further enhancing their relationship, working towards a reciprocal codeshare agreement, ahead of the busy peak travel season. With single ticket fare and hassle-free baggage handling, Emirates customers will be able to enjoy seamless access from Johannesburg to three domestic points in South Africa – Cape Town, Durban and Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), and a further thirteen regional points in Africa including Abidjan, Accra, Botswana, Dar es Salaam, Kinshasa, Windhoek, Lagos, Lusaka, Lubumbashi, Harare, Victoria Falls, Windhoek, and Mauritius. The codeshare will enable Emirates to tap into feeder traffic from South Africa, and regionally alongside long-haul connecting passengers from the UK and US.
ETIHAD EXPANDS WIDEBODY FLEET WITH 32 NEW AIRBUS AIRCRAFT, ARRIVING FROM 2027
Etihad Airways today announced a major expansion of its widebody fleet with 32 additional Airbus aircraft, further accelerating the airline’s growth and reinforcing its position as one of the world’s fastest-growing full-service carriers. The agreement includes a mix of A350-1000s, A350F freighters, and A330-900s through both direct orders and lease commitments, with first deliveries beginning in 2027 – one of the earliest widebody availability windows in the global market.