Emirates orders 5 more 777 freighters, fleet to reach 21 by 2026

Dubai: Dubai’s flagship carrier, Emirates, has placed a firm order for five more Boeing 777 freighters to be delivered from 2025/2026. “Together with its previous orders, Emirates now has 14 Boeing 777Fs pending delivery from Boeing from now until end 2026,” the airline said in a statement Monday.

Additionally, Emirates has signed a multi-year lease extension with Dubai Aerospace Enterprise for four Boeing 777Fs in its existing fleet. “Based on these investments, by December 2026, Emirates SkyCargo expects to operate a fleet of 21 production-built Boeing 777 freighters, significantly expanding its current fleet of 11 units,” the statement added.

The airline said it also remains invested in converting ten-passenger Boeing 777-3000ERs into freighters for further capacity and fleet growth. As part of its vision for the next phase of its development, the airline said it plans to decide by the end of this calendar year on its future freighter fleet for 2028/29 and beyond, with the Boeing 777-8F and Airbus A350-1000F as top contenders.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of of Emirates Airline and Group, said, “We are investing in new freighter aircraft to meet surging demand and provide our customers around the world with even more flexibility, connectivity and options to leverage market opportunity.”

He said, “Demand for Emirates’ air cargo services has been booming. This reflects Dubai’s growing prominence as a preferred and trusted global logistics hub and the success of Emirates SkyCargo’s bespoke solutions that address the needs of shippers in different industry sectors.”
Even as it inducts new freighter aircraft into its operations, Emirates’ cargo division will continue to harness the airline’s all-widebody passenger fleet to facilitate the efficient movement of goods worldwide, explained the Dubai-based carrier. Emirates’ fleet mix comprises Boeing 777s, 777-Fs, 747Fs, and Airbus A350s and A380s.
“Emirates continues to set the direction for our industry, and we deeply appreciate the trust they have placed in the Boeing widebwidebodyly to serve as the backbone of their global fleet,” said Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

The Dubai government’s plans to expand Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) is set to create the world’s largest hub in terms of capacity. DWC will ultimately be able to process 12 million tonnes of cargo annually. This would support the growth of the nearby Logistics District, which is planned as an international base for global cargo and shipping companies. All this is part of Dubai’s master plan to become the pre-eminent multi-modal cargo hub for air, sea and land connections.