Who Won The Dubai Airshow 2023?

As the Dubai Airshow comes to a close, it’s time to begin tallying up the orders and answering the all-important question: Airbus or Boeing?

While Boeing may have scooped up nearly three times as many orders as Airbus, at 295 to 86, respectively, the answer may not be as straightforward as it seems.

The biannual event appears to be the turning point for US aircraft manufacturer Boeing. Following the grounding of its 737 MAX program, issues with its 787 Dreamliner production, and supply-chain issues, it seemed as if airlines had begun to lose their confidence in Boeing for a short period.

Europe’s Airbus isn’t without its issues. Sure, its A320neo and A220 family aircraft have proven popular – in 2019, the A320 officially overtook the 737 in terms of orders, despite entering the market 20 years after Boeing’s narrowbody, but supply-chain problems and production delays have limited delivery slots of the A320neo until 2029, a major setback for any operator hoping to boost their short-term capacity.

Battle of the single-aisle

Airbus’ production delays and Pratt & Whitney GTF groundings are having a clear impact on its narrowbody sales. Not a single A320neo family aircraft, including its usually industry-beloved A321XLR, was ordered during the Dubai Airshow.

Boeing received a much-needed narrowbody order from Ethiopian Airlines for 21 Boeing 737 MAX. The Addis Ababa-based airline was notably the face of the 737 MAX grounding following the crash of Flight 302 in March 2019.

Photo: Sumit Singh | Simple Flying

Speaking to Bloomberg, CEO Mesfin Tasew reaffirmed its confidence in Boeing and the 737 MAX program, noting that the airline had ensured Boeing had corrected the issue with the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), cited as the cause behind the crashes of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 and Lion Air Flight 610.

“We believe we have checked and confirmed that the design defect of that aircraft has been fully corrected by Boeing. We have renewed our confidence in that aircraft.”

The order came as a significant snub to Airbus, with Tasew claiming that it had expressed interest in Airbus’ A220 aircraft to replace its turboprop fleet; however, it would not consider placing an order until issues with its Pratt & Whitney PW1500G turbofan engines were resolved.

Confidence challenges

Not all airlines appear to feel the same; Latvian flag carrier airBaltic scooped up an additional 30 A220-300s, plus 20 more options. The updated order will see the airline become the largest A220 operator in Europe, with 100 aircraft set to pad out its fleet by 2030. CEO Martin Gauss offered an alternative view to Tasew, explaining to journalists at the airshow,

“Let us say the engine is maturing and we wouldn’t have placed an order if we didn’t have full trust in the aircraft with the engine.”

Photo: Boeing

Other 737 MAX customers include Turkish-German SunExpress, which placed a firm order for 28 MAX 8s and 17 MAX 10s, as well as options for up to 45 more, and Kazakh flag carrier SCAT Airlines for seven MAX 8s.

Though not a direct order, the 737 MAX also saw a significant boost from EgyptAir, which signed a 12-year lease with American aircraft lessors Air Lease Corporation (ALC) for 18 of the type as it looks to overhaul its aging short and medium-haul fleet. EgyptAir will take delivery of the aircraft between 2025 and 2026, operating them alongside its existing A320neo aircraft.

Rise of the 777X

Despite claims that high-capacity jets are on their way out, Boeing’s 747 successor has flipped that narrative. The yet-to-launch 777X was undoubtedly the star of the Dubai Airshow, with Dubai-based Emirates ordering 90 aircraft, boosting its current order to 205, regardless of Boeing’s nearly 7-year backlog. Emirates currently expects to take delivery of its first 777X in 2025, according to Boeing’s current production targets.

Emirate’s deal with Boeing also included a unique Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) contract that will allow the US aircraft manufacturer to provide augmented and virtual reality capable drones for Emirates’ 777 maintenance program. In a statement shared by the airline on Thursday, Emirates explained the decision behind the add-on MRO partnership,

“These technologies promise to deliver more precise and comprehensive aircraft inspections, reduce the risk of human error, and significantly cut down the time aircraft spend out of service – optimizing fleet availability and performance.”

Delivery of the 777X will not impact A380 operations, however. Even though the quadjet is now out of production, Emirates has assured it has no plans to retire its A380 fleet before the 2040s. The superjumbo may have struggled to find its place in other airline’s fleets, but Emirates has embraced the A380’s unbeatable comfort and ability to transport over 600 passengers to its hub at Dubai International Airport (DBX).

Photo: Emirates

On Wednesday, Airbus announced it had signed over $1.5 billion in MRO contracts to ensure its A380 fleet remains reliable and operational through its extended life. Contracts included Pratt & Whitney, Lufthansa Technik, Collins Aerospace, and Safran, which comprised a $1.2 million seating overhaul across much of its widebody fleet. A further 60 A380s will be retrofitted with Airbus’ Airspace Link HBCplus satellite connectivity solution during its overhaul, as confirmed by the aircraft manufacturer on Thursday.

Last but not least

Following some production setbacks, the aura around Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner program has seemed slightly off, but that’s not deterring operators. Emirate’s sister airline flydubai is set to officially shirk off its title as a narrowbody-only operator, ordering 30 787-9 aircraft in a $11 billion deal.

Smaller orders filtered in from Ethiopian Airlines for 15, Royal Jordanian for six, and Royal Air Maroc for two. Emirates also adjusted its existing order, adding five to its current backlog for a total of 35 aircraft.

Photo: KITTIKUN YOKSAP | Shutterstock

Like the A320neo, Airbus failed to acquire any orders for its A330neo program. Despite the previous generation becoming one of the most popular widebody aircraft of its era, Airbus has struggled to compete against Boeing’s 787 in the slightly larger middle-of-the-market segment, with orders for the smaller A330-800 sitting at 12.

However, Airbus managed to bulk up its A350-900 backlog, signing deals with EgyptAir for ten, Ethiopian Airlines for 11, and Emirates for 15. Airbus initially hoped for a more significant order, likely including the A350-1000s; however, reliability issues with its Rolls-Royce XWB-97 engine appear to be putting off potential purchases.

Emirates quietly announced the last-minute order on Thursday after several days of negotiations, choosing not to hold a signing ceremony. The decision may have been in response to Emirates’ CEO Tim Clark’s prior comments regarding the XWB-97’s poor fit for the airline’s operations. Clark noted that Emirates would perhaps consider the aircraft if alterations were made, explaining to journalists,

“If the engine did what we wanted it to do and Rolls-Royce knows what we want it to do, and so does Airbus, then we would re-enter [the Airbus A350-1000] into the assessment for our fleet.”

Read More: Dubai Airshow Final Roundup: All The Biggest Aviation News From The Show

Who do you think won the Dubai Airshow? Let us know in the comments.

Sources: Bloomberg, Reuters