An Emirates Airlines Boing 777 plane unloads a coronavirus vaccine shipment at Dubai International Airport in this picture taken on February 1, 2021
Emirates is already the world's biggest operator of the Boeing 777 AFP / Karim SAHIB

Emirates Airlines announced an order of 55 Boeing 777-9s, 35 777-8s and 5 additional 787 Dreamliners, for a total of $52 billion.

The announcement was made during the Dubai Airshow, which started Monday.

With the new order, Emirates's fleet of Boeing 777 will increase to 205, cementing its position as the biggest operator of the wide-body passenger aircraft.

"The 777 has been central to Emirates' fleet and network strategy of connecting cities on all continents non-stop to Dubai," Emirates Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said in a statement. "These additional aircraft will enable Emirates to connect even more cities, supporting the Dubai economic agenda."

Dubai plans to add 400 cities to its trade map over the next decade.

Boeing forecasts that the Middle East will concentrate most orders for its wide-body airplanes, as cities in the region become hubs to connect with major global population centers.

"The 777-9 and 777-8 are the perfect airplanes to support Emirates' growth, improving environmental performance and unmatched payload capability along the way," Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes said in a statement.

According to Boeing, the 777-9 will be the largest and most fuel-efficient twin-engine jet in the world, with the lowest operating cost per seat of any commercial airplane. It seats 426 passengers in a typical two-class configuration, with a range of 13,510 km. The 777-8 seats 395 passengers with a range of 16,190 km.

Dubai