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Record-breaking Dubai Airshow strengthens emirate’s position as global aerospace hub

Largest-ever witnesses significant deals and major announcements

Dubai Airshow 2023 marked a historic milestone as the largest edition since the event’s inception, witnessing significant deals and major announcements, reinforcing the event’s standing as a crucial hub for the aerospace and defence sectors.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the 18th edition of Dubai Airshow showcased the unflagging commitment of the aviation, aerospace and defence industries to sustained technological advancements, with more than $101 billion in deals announced through the week. It also welcomed over 135,000 attendees, witnessing a remarkable 30% increase in footfall compared to the previous edition. The next edition will take place in 2025 at Dubai World Central (DWC), Al Maktoum airport.

Some of the most notable deals at the mega event this year included Emirates placing an order worth $52 billion for 95 additional wide-body aircraft – including Boeing 777-9s, 777-8s, and 787s – on the opening day. Powering the airline’s growth plans, it also placed an order worth $6 billion for 15 additional Airbus A350-900 jets during the airshow.

Ethiopian Airlines Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for 11 additional Airbus A350-900s to be added to its existing fleet, confirming its position as Africa's biggest A350 customer. It also announced an order of 11 787-9 Dreamliners and 20 737 MAX 8 aircraft, with options for 15 and 21 additional jets, respectively. Latvian airline airBaltic also confirmed an incremental order for an additional 30 A220-300s, which will make it the largest A220 customer in Europe, and Boeing and flydubai announced an agreement for the purchase of 30 787-9 Dreamliners, among other significant deals.

Tawazun Council, the independent government entity that works closely with the Ministry of Defence and security agencies to maximise value through acquisition systems, signed Dh23.06 billion worth of contracts with local and international companies. These included a deal with Halcon to procure ammunition worth Dh2.14 billion and two contracts with International Golden Group, the first an Dh338 million contract to provide technical support for aircraft and the second for the purchase of engines and aircraft parts put at Dh13 million.

With an increased focus on space and future technologies at the 18th edition of Dubai Airshow, the UAE Space Agency used the event as a platform to unveil the timeline of the journey of the MBR Explorer, the spacecraft for the Emirates Mission to Asteroid Belt (EMA). Other key announcements include an MoU between the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) and Eanan, a UAE technology company leading the next evolutionary step in transportation through advanced air mobility (AAM) solutions. Meanwhile, Dubai Airports, operator of the world’s biggest international hub, announced a milestone partnership with Intelak Hub, the premier innovation incubator dedicated to the travel, tourism, and aviation sector in Dubai.