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Emirates has ordered five additional Boeing 777 freighters to be delivered in 2025 and 2026, bringing its total orderbook for the freighter model to 21, according to a statement. The investment ticket for the order has not been disclosed. The airline is looking to boost its freighter capacity and will continue with plans to convert 10 passenger Boeing 777-300ERs into freighters, says the statement.
It doesn’t end there: The UAE airline has also inked a multi-year lease extension for four Boeing 777s in its current fleet with aviation services firm Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, the statement said. Based on the two investments, Emirates Skycargo is slated to double its existing fleet of 11 units to 21 production-built Boeing 777s by December 2026.
Air cargo demand is booming: “We’re investing into new freighter aircrafts to meet surging demand and provide our customers around the world with even more flexibility, connectivity, and options to leverage market opportunity,” Emirates Chairman and Chief Executive Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said in the statement. This aligns with the UAE’s plans to invest AED 128 bn to boost capacity to process 12 mn tonnes of cargo at Al Maktoum International Airport and support the growth of adjacent logistics district Dubai South, according to the statement.
Not just regionally: Air cargo consistently outperformed alternative modes of transport and is slated to grow by two-thirds by 2043, supporting the 4.1% annual growth in air cargo traffic. Over 1k freighter jets are slated for new delivery over the next 20 years.
Background: Emirates’ cargo arm Emirates SkyCargo placed a USD 1 bn order for five Boeing 777 freighters, slated for immediate delivery between 2025 and 2026 back in July. Once operational, the new orders will boost the airline’s main deck cargo capacity by 30%.
Boeing dominates the market: The aircraft manufacturer supplies over 90% of dedicated freighter capacity globally, with the 777 freighter being its top-selling of all time, according to a statement. Boeing expects some 2.8k additional freighters to enter service over the next 20 years to meet the rising demand from global trade and e-commerce.
A rocky relationship: Emirates President Tim Clark slammed Boeing last week for its 777x delivery delays, saying that his company plans to have “serious conversations” with the aircraft manufacturer in the coming months. The airline has “had to make significant and highly expensive amendments to [its] fleet programmes as a result of Boeing’s multiple contractual shortfalls,” Clark stressed. “I fail to see how Boeing can make any meaningful forecasts of delivery dates.”
Ongoing delays: Boeing pushed back delivery dates of its new 777x aircrafts earlier this month, with first delivery of its 777-9 airplane forecasted to be in 2026 and its 777-8 freighter aircraft in 2028. Delivery delays have been attributed to setbacks in flight testing for the individual aircraft models and a labor strike at the company. Clark predicted back in July that Boeing’s 777X aircraft would not enter commercial services before 2026, and that he “would not take kindly” to further delays caused by a growing backlog of orders.
Nevertheless, expansion is on the horizon: Emirates’ air freight division plans to further increase its capacity with 15 freighters by 2025 through new deliveries and its freighter conversion program. It also aims to boost its fleet to more than 300 aircraft by mid-2030, while planning to add 20 new destinations to its freighter network.
