Emirates unveils Boeing buy at show
$15.1B deal made for jumbo 787s, planes touted by Trump.
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — Long-haul carrier Emirates purchased 40 American-made Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners on Sunday at the start of the biennial Dubai Air Show, a $15.1 billion deal certain to please U.S. President Donald Trump, who has touted the plane’s sales as a job creator in America.
The deal appeared to surprise Boeing’s archrival Airbus, whose staff had attended a long-delayed news conference and left the room just moments before the announcement.
Airbus has pinned hopes of continuing production of its double-decker jumbo jet on Emirates, the world’s largest operator of the aircraft, which took delivery of its 100th A380 earlier this month. Reports circulated before the air show that a major A380 sale was coming.
But instead, Emirates CEO and Chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum explained how the airline considered the Airbus A350 and decided to pick the Boeing 787-10.
“We were comparing the two apples,” he said, but found that the Boeing 787 is “the best option” for Emirates “given its maintenance and so on.”
It’s the second time Airbus has lost out on selling the A350 to Emirates. In June 2014, the state-owned Emirates cancelled an order for 70 A350s after a “fleet requirement” review.
The Boeing 787-10 typically lists for $312.8 million. Delivery will begin in 2022.
Chicago-based Boeing Co. already has 171 787-10s on order. Among those waiting for the aircraft are Abu Dhabi-based Etihad.
The twin-engine 787-10, however, has been a focus of Trump since he came into office. In February, he visited the Boeing plant in North Charleston, South Carolina, which manufactures the carbon-fiber, 330-seat plane Trump described as “an amazing piece of art.”
“As your president I’m going to do everything I can to unleash the power of the American spirit and to put our great people back to work,” Trump said. “This is our mantra: Buy American and hire American.”
Sheikh Ahmed made a point to say the deal will help create more jobs, echoing Trump’s mantra. The deal was signed in the presence of Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who also serves as the United Arab Emirates’ prime minister and vice president.
“The order will take Emirates’ total (number of ) widebody aircraft of the Boeing to 204 aircrafts, units worth over $90 billion,” Sheikh Ahmed said.