Colgate Gata-Aura, the President of Boeing for the Middle East, Turkey, Africa, and Central Asia, confirmed that UAE airlines account for approximately 77% of Boeing’s total orders in the region, totaling 515 aircraft across various models.
In exclusive comments, Gata-Aura noted that this total reflects the ambitious growth plans of UAE airlines and their commitment to modernizing their fleets with the latest models.
The UAE is home to some of the world’s leading airlines, which continue to make significant strategic investments in the future of the aviation sector.
Among these orders, Emirates Airline has placed orders for 270 X777 aircraft, in addition to 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 10 777 cargo planes.
Etihad Airways has 25 X777 and 25 787 Dreamliner aircraft on order, while Flydubai is the largest regional customer for Boeing 737s, awaiting the delivery of 119 737 Max aircraft. They also made their first order for wide-body aircraft, requesting 30 787-9 Dreamliners.
Emirates Airline is recognized as one of the largest global operators of 777 aircraft, with over 137 of these models in its fleet. Meanwhile, Etihad Airways ranks as the second-largest customer for Boeing 787 Dreamliners in the Middle East, currently operating 47 aircraft of that type and seven 777s, being one of the initial customers for the X777 model. Flydubai became the largest regional customer for 737-800s when it ordered 50 aircraft in 2008.
The airline currently operates 92 Boeing 737 aircraft, including 27 Next-Generation 737-800s, 62 737 Max 8s, and three 737 Max 9s.
He emphasized that the UAE has become a dynamic hub for innovation in aviation by combining strategic investment with world-class infrastructure and close cooperation between the public and private sectors. Industrial partnerships, such as those focused on producing advanced composite materials with Strata and advanced manufacturing operations with Edge Precision Industries (EPI), alongside the Unmanned Systems Center of Excellence in Abu Dhabi, are pivotal in localizing complex manufacturing processes and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services that have traditionally formed part of distant global supply chains.
Gata-Aura added that Boeing plays an active role in supporting the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) roadmap set forth by the UAE, led by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure.
Long-standing partnerships between Boeing and Etihad Airways and Masdar focus on testing and knowledge exchange related to sustainable aviation fuel technology, policies, and financing, enhancing stakeholder understanding across the value chain.
This cooperation facilitates tangible and incremental steps to accelerate the development of the SAF market both regionally and globally. He stated that the Middle East is home to the largest wide-body aircraft market in the world.
Airlines such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, and Flydubai continue to set new global standards in long-haul connectivity, passenger experience, and fleet modernization.
With approximately 700 Boeing commercial aircraft operating in the region and over 665 aircraft on order, Middle Eastern airlines are redefining international travel standards.