Emirates announced orders for eight additional Airbus A350-900 aircraft powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB84 engines at the Dubai Airshow 2025. Worth US$3.4 billion at list prices, this top-up order will boost the airline’s A350-900 fleet to a total of 73 units when all deliveries are completed. To date, Emirates has received delivery of 13 A350 aircraft. Emirates’ additional A350-900s are expected to be delivered during 2031.
Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group said: “The Emirates A350’s entry into service last November has given us welcome additional capacity. It has also enabled us to introduce Emirates’ latest inflight products to more customers, including our popular Premium Economy seats. We look forward working closely with Airbus on the delivery of our remaining aircraft including the new units that we have ordered today. Together with the additional Boeing 777-9 order announced earlier this week, Emirates now has a total of 375 units of the latest wide-body aircraft on its orderbook. This is a massive investment in our future, the future of flying better for our customers, as well as the future of aviation in terms of job and value creation.”
Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus EVP Sales of the Commercial Aircraft business, said: “We are pleased to see our long-standing partner Emirates renewing its commitment to the Airbus A350, which continues to set the benchmark for long-haul travel. We look forward to supporting Emirates as it expands its operations with one of the world’s most modern widebody aircraft in the market.”
“Today’s announcement is testament to the confidence in the Trent XWB-84, exclusively powering the Airbus A350-900. The Trent XWB-84 has been setting the industry benchmark for large aero-engines for ten years, demonstrating outstanding durability and low fuel consumption, making it the ideal platform to support Emirates and its expansion. We extend our gratitude to Emirates for their continued trust in Rolls-Royce and are proud to continue our long-standing relationship,” said Omar Ali Adib, Senior Vice President, Customer – Middle East, Africa and Central Asia, Rolls-Royce.
Airline, Rolls-Royce sign MOU on A380 engines
Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Emirates and Rolls-Royce at the Dubai Airshow 2025, Emirates will perform Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) for the Trent 900 engines powering its own A380 fleet from 2027. Emirates has also extended the TotalCare service agreement with Rolls-Royce for its A380s into the 2040s. Emirates will build a new facility with the first induction forecast from 2027. Emirates will complete fan case repairs at the facility, and Rolls-Royce will maintain module repair capability within the global network.
Ahmed Safa, Emirates’ Head of Engineering and MRO, said: “With Emirates’ plans to continue operating our Airbus A380 fleet into the 2040s, we wanted to secure our own engine maintenance capabilities. We are pleased to sign this agreement with Rolls-Royce which takes our partnership further. We will be working closely with their team to bring the latest engine MRO capabilities into our facilities as part of our expansion of Emirates’ Engineering Maintenance Centre (EEMC). This is yet another value-added contribution to Dubai’s growing aerospace sector capabilities.”
Paul Keenan, Director – Commercial Aviation Aftermarket Operations, Rolls-Royce, said: “Today’s announcement marks another milestone in our journey to significantly increase our global MRO capacity and capability by 2030. Our global network combines a strong mix of Rolls-Royce owned facilities, joint ventures and strategic collaborations with industry partners. We are delighted to welcome Emirates to that mix ahead of the new facility opening in 2027. The agreement will allow for additional capacity in the entire Rolls-Royce network and further reinforces our commitment to deliver both excellent products and services to our global customer base.”
Emirates Engineering receives DOA approval
Emirates Engineering has achieved a significant milestone, becoming the first organisation in the UAE to receive Design Organisation Approval (DOA) from the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) for major aircraft modifications, through Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs). The GCAA’s direct certification of Emirates Engineering’s design work enables the regulator to independently review and process major modifications, marking a milestone for UAE aviation regulation.
Adel Al Redha, Emirates Deputy President and Chief Operating Officer said: “This approval fundamentally changes our approach to aircraft modification. In-house design and certification capability gives us direct control over our product development and helps us to define our specifications and our timeline. The timing also aligns with our expansion at DWC, where this certification expertise will be integral to our engineering operations. We thank the GCAA for their partnership in developing the regulatory framework that made this milestone possible.”
Aqeel Al Zarooni, Assistant Director General for Aviation Safety Affairs at the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, said: “This accreditation represents an important advancement in the development of the aircraft design and engineering approval ecosystem in the UAE. It reflects the readiness of the regulatory framework the GCAA is building to empower all maintenance and engineering service providers to enhance their capabilities.
Emirates, Air Canada expand codeshare partnership
Emirates and Air Canada announced a commitment to expand and extend their strategic partnership, building on the success of a three-year-old agreement between two of the world’s leading airlines. Since launching their strategic partnership in 2022, the airlines have already served more than 550,000 customers, connecting travellers across 56 codeshare routes linking Canada, the U.S., Dubai and key destinations around the globe. The carriers have signed a memorandum of understanding to extend the reciprocal codeshare and loyalty partnership until December 31, 2032. The renewed agreement will deepen their cooperation, lead to enhanced services for customers and cargo shippers, and create the potential for new gateways within Canada in the codeshare network.
“Air Canada’s partnership with Emirates has been highly successful, and we are proud to renew it early, expanding its scope and extending its duration through 2032. This agreement strengthens our international strategy by supporting our daily, year-round service between Toronto and Dubai and providing customers and shippers seamless connections to destinations across the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Renewing this partnership is great news, not just for our customers – many of whom have family, cultural or business ties to these regions – but also for Canada, as it enhances our ability to connect the country to the world amid evolving trade and travel patterns,” said Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer and President, Cargo at Air Canada.
“Our strategic partnership with Air Canada has delivered exceptional results, and we are pleased to extend this collaboration through 2032. This agreement strengthens our passenger and cargo capabilities, enabling us to enhance customer experiences on codeshare flights while expanding network connectivity for travellers across both markets,” said Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer at Emirates.
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