Emirates Holds Off on Major Airbus Purchase, Buys $63 Billion Worth of Aircraft from Boeing

Concerns about Rolls Royce Engines on Airbus A350 Influence Decision; Geopolitical Tensions and Sustainability Initiatives also Impact Emirates' Operations

Emirates has signaled it will hold off on a major purchase of Airbus A350 aircraft due to concerns about their Rolls Royce engines, marking a setback for Airbus at the Dubai Air Show.
Emirates announced a $52 billion purchase with Airbus' rival Boeing Co., while its sister airline FlyDubai bought another $11 billion of aircraft from Boeing.
Emirates President Tim Clark raised concerns about the maintenance required for the Rolls Royce engines on the A350, stating that if the engine was performing as expected, it would re-enter the assessment for their fleet plan.
Emirates and FlyDubai launched direct flights to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv after the two countries established diplomatic ties in 2020, but had to stop their daily flights due to the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
Emirates successfully flew a Boeing 777 on a test flight with one of its two engines entirely powered by so-called sustainable aviation fuel, and cleared SAF for flights earlier this month.