Freighters absent from Dubai Airshow 2019

The 2019 edition of the Dubai Airshow is behind us, but despite the appearance of Egyptair Cargo’s newest A330-200P2F (610) recently redelivered by EFW, there were no freighter orders to be seen, in stark contrast with the Paris Air Show this June, where we saw a large amount of activity with regard to freighters, particularly the 737-800BCF.

Here is a summary of the widebody orders that were signed in Dubai over the past few days.

• Emirates ordered fifty A350-900s, as well as thirty 787-9s, converted from 777X orders.
• GECAS ordered twelve A330neos.
• The Republic of Ghana signed an MoU for three 787-9s.
• Biman Bangladesh ordered two 787-9s.

Turning to narrowbodies, in a vote of confidence for the 737 MAX, Boeing also announced orders and commitments for 60 of the airframe type, including:

• Air Astana signed an LOI for thirty 737 Max Aircraft for its new low-cost carrier, FlyArystan.
• Sun Express, the joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, added ten units to its existing order for thirty-two MAX aircraft.
• An unidentified customer also firm-ordered ten 737 MAX 7s and ten 737 Max 10s.

Airbus also fared well with orders and commitments for A220 and A320-family aircraft.

• Air Arabia signed a firm order for 120 Airbus aircraft comprising 73 A320neos, 27 A321neos and 20 A321XLRs.
• Saudia Arabia-based low-cost carrier flynas signed an order for 10 A321LXRs.
• EasyJet exercised options for twelve A320neos.
• GECAS firm-ordered twenty A321XLRs.
• Air Senegal signed an MoU for eight A220s.