Emirates May Convert Its Entire 35-Aircraft Boeing 787 Order Into More 777X Jets

Credit: Emirates, Simple Flying Published Oct 8, 2026, 4:00 AM EDT Prachi is a London-based journalist with extensive experience in the aviation industry. She has worked for several leading industry publications, covering a broad range of topics. Her expertise lies in aircraft maintenance, emerging technologies, and advanced air mobility. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Journalism, focusing on data journalism and its potential to transform conventional aviation reporting. Sign in to your Simple Flying account Emirates was launched in October 1985 with a $10 million seed investment. Its first flights relied on two wet-leased aircraft from Pakistan International Airlines, an Airbus A300 and a Boeing 737, alongside two Boeing 727s gifted by Dubai’s Royal Family. The airline has since grown into a major global widebody operator, with around 270 aircraft in its fleet. According to ch-aviation, the UAE flag carrier currently operates 117 Airbus A380s, 116 Boeing 777-300ERs, ten Boeing 777-200LRs and 27 Airbus A350-900s. Some of the older aircraft are now reaching an age where fleet renewal is becoming increasingly important; Emirates has already placed substantial orders for its future fleet. It is currently awaiting deliveries of more than 300 aircraft. Emirates’ Fleet Renewal Program Stretches Into The 2030s Credit: aviationisa | Shutterstock Indeed, the airline has a sizeable fleet renewal program underway, but it will have to wait several years for all of its new aircraft arrive. According to ch-aviation data, the Dubai-based carrier is currently awaiting 46 A350-900s, 270 Boeing 777Xs and 30 Boeing 787s. Of these three programs, Emirates is currently taking deliveries of the A350-900. The airline received its first A350 in 2024 and has since been adding the aircraft to its fleet. It has been deploying the type on several routes, while the remaining aircraft are scheduled to arrive through 2031. Regarding the 777X, the airline is the largest customer for the program, with 270 aircraft on order. The first deliveries were originally expected in 2020, but program delays have pushed the timeline back several years. At the Farnborough Airshow in July, Emirates President Tim Clark said the airline is expected to receive its first 777-9 in the second quarter of 2027. Emirates is also waiting for its 787s. Boeing's ongoing delivery issues have delayed Dreamliner deliveries. Overall, if the current delivery schedule remains in place, the UAE flag carrier's aircraft backlog will continue into at least 2038. Emirates Is Considering Converting Its 787 Order To The 777X Credit: Emirates Emirates is now weighing whether to convert its existing 787 commitments into additional 777X aircraft. The airline first announced plans for the Dreamliner almost a decade ago, but the order has changed several times since then. In November 2017, the Dubai-based carrier announced a tentative commitment for 40 Boeing 787-10s, although the agreement was never finalized as a firm order. In November 2019, it signed a firm contract for 30 Boeing 787-9s worth $8.8 billion, exercising substitution rights from its earlier 777X order. Emirates then revised its Dreamliner plans again at the Dubai Airshow in November 2023, bringing its total 787 commitment to 35 aircraft across the 787 family. It currently has 20 787-8s and 15 787-10s on order. The airline was originally scheduled to receive its first Dreamliner in May 2023, with deliveries planned over five years. That schedule was pushed back as the US planemaker faced production and inspection issues, and Emirates has since had to revise its expected delivery timeline several times. This delay has prompted the Gulf carrier to consider whether it should continue with the 787 or switch the order to the 777X. Speaking on the sidelines of Arabian Travel Market 2026, Emirates Deputy President and Chief Operating Officer Adel Al Redha said the option of converting the order remains under consideration because of the delays affecting the Dreamliner. “The option of converting to the 777X remains on the table,” Al Redha said, according to Emirates 24/7. “Everything is possible, and we will discuss everything in this regard with the manufacturer.” Al Redha said the airline has two options: continue with the 787 deliveries under the revised schedule agreed with Boeing or convert the order to 777X aircraft. Discussions between Emirates and Boeing are expected to become clearer within two months, after which the airline will decide how to proceed. If the UAE flag carrier keeps the order as it is, 787 deliveries are not expected to begin until the end of 2029. Emirates Is Using The A350 To Add Capacity Across Its Network Credit: Msadamw23 | Shutterstock For now, the airline is relying on its A350s to provide additional capacity across its network. The aircraft offers comparable range and capacity to the Dreamliners. The A350-900 has a published range of about 8,100 to 8,500 nautical miles (15,000–15,750 km), exceeding the 787-8’s by roughly 7,305 nm (13,530 km) and the 787-10’s 6,330 nm (11,730 km). In Emirates’ configuration, the A350-900 can carry between 298 and 312 passengers across three classes, depending on the layout. This puts it between the 787-8, which typically carries around 240 to 250 passengers, and the 787-10, which can accommodate around 300–330 passengers in similar configurations. Since entering service, the Airbus widebody has allowed Emirates to start replacing some of its older 777s. The airline has deployed the type on high-frequency regional routes to destinations including Bahrain, Kuwait, Muscat, Dammam, Amman and Baghdad. Emirates' Top 5 Longest A350 Routes In Q4 2026 Destination Total Distance Frequency Orlando 7,754 miles (12,479 km) 1x daily from Nov. 1 Adelaide 6,834 miles (10,998 km) 1x daily Montreal 6,612 miles (10,641 km) 1x daily Cape Town 4,734 miles (7,619 km) 1x daily Taipei 4,080 miles (6,566 km) 1x daily until Oct. 26 It is also being used on services to several European cities, including Edinburgh, London Gatwick, Bologna, Lyon, Oslo, Istanbul, Copenhagen and Rome. Notably, Emirates just started its first-ever service to Helsinki, operated by the A350. The aircraft is also being used on some of the carrier’s longer routes. It operates the A350 to Adelaide, a route of around 6,834 miles. From November, Emirates will also use the aircraft on its Dubai-Orlando route, replacing the 777-200LR currently operating the service. Covering around 7,754 miles (12,479 km), the route will become its longest A350 flight and will take around 16 hours. According to aviation analytics provider Cirium, the airline has scheduled more than 20,500 A350 flights for 2026. For the final quarter alone, it has scheduled 7,146 flights, offering 2,189,036 seats. Emirates Is Refreshing Its A380 And 777 Fleets Ahead Of New Deliveries Credit: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock Furthermore, Emirates has also expanded its aircraft refurbishment program as it continues to wait for new aircraft. The airline launched the program in 2021 and initially planned to refurbish around 105 to 120 aircraft. In 2024, it increased the scope to 219 aircraft, including 110 A380s and 109 777s. So far, the carrier has completed around 100 refurbishments, including 47 A380s and 53 777s. Around 20 more aircraft are scheduled to undergo refurbishment by the end of this year. Under the program, Emirates is adding a premium economy cabin to more aircraft and refreshing the business class cabin on its 777s. Notably, demand for the premium economy cabin has exceeded expectations since its introduction; the UAE flag carrier has installed more than 3,800 premium economy seats across the refurbished fleet. These upgrades will allow Emirates to keep its existing widebody aircraft in service for longer while it takes delivery of its new aircraft in the years ahead. Emirates Is Interested In A Larger 777X Beyond The 777-9 Credit: Emirates Furthermore, along with all this, Emirates has also been pushing for a feasibility study into a further-stretched version of the 777X. At the Dubai Airshow last year, the airline ordered 65 additional 777-9 aircraft, and the deal included the option to convert some of them to the 777-8 or the proposed 777-10. The Dubai-based airline has been open about its interest in larger aircraft that can carry more passengers on high-capacity routes. Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and CEO of Emirates, said at the time that the airline had been asking manufacturers to build “larger-capacity aircraft [that would be] more efficient to operate, especially with projected air traffic growth and increasing constraints at airports.” That being said, there has been no official decision on the 777-10 yet. Boeing is still conducting feasibility studies to determine whether the aircraft would be practical to build. Engineering requirements, certification, and airline demand must all be considered before the plan can move forward. If the US planemaker does eventually launch the aircraft, it would be longer than the 777-9. The 777-9 already stretches 251 feet, nine inches (76.72 meters), making it the world's longest commercial airliner when it enters service. Some early reports suggest the 777-10 could be about 16 feet longer, bringing its total length to about 268 feet (82 meters). The extra length would let the aircraft carry more passengers. Early estimates put the 777-10's capacity at around 475 passengers in a two-class configuration, compared with around 420 on the 777-9. However, its range would be lower than the existing 777X variants. The 777-8 has a published range of 8,745 nautical miles (16,190 km), while the 777-9 is advertised at up to 7,285 nautical miles (13,500 km). Boeing has not yet provided a range figure for the proposed 777-10. Emirates Now Faces A Key Decision Credit: Emirates Whether the stretched 777X eventually becomes a reality or Emirates decides to take the type remains to be seen. For now, the more immediate question is whether the airline will convert its existing 787 commitments into additional 777X aircraft. On paper, the switch could make sense. If Emirates keeps its Dreamliner order, current plans indicate that deliveries would not begin until late 2029, while the airline is expected to start receiving its 777X aircraft next year. The current timeline suggests that Emirates could take delivery of its first 777-9 in May or June 2027. In fact, the first aircraft has already rolled out of Boeing's factory and is now undergoing painting in the airline's official livery. It will then receive its passenger cabin interior and undergo further system testing before delivery. However, an important caveat remains regarding the 777X timeline. The program has not yet received full certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The US planemaker is continuing its flight-test program, and the aircraft still needs regulatory approval before it can enter commercial service. ETOPS certification will also be required for the 777X to operate many of the long-haul routes the Gulf carrier has planned for the type. Those approvals are expected by late 2026 or early 2027. This leaves Emirates with a decision.