Momentum at Dubai Airshow 2025 continued to build on day three, with leading airlines and airlines announcing major fleet expansions, strategic alliances and sustainability-driven initiatives.
Read: Dubai Airshow 2025: A historic flight with an electric helicopter and a $52 billion Boeing deal
From Silk Way West Airlines’ expanded A350F order and Emirates’ partnership with ENOC Group, to new deals from Buraq Air and Centrum Air and Emirates’ other aircraft procurement commitments, the third day of the show highlighted the strong recovery of global aviation, ongoing fleet renewal and an increasing focus on environmental goals.
Here’s a full summary of all the major announcements that made headlines from day three in Dubai.
Dubai Airshow 2025, Day 3: Most important news
Silk Way West Airlines has ordered two additional A350F freighters
Baku, Azerbaijan-based Silk Way West Airlines has signed a firm contract for two additional A350F freighters. The agreement, which brings the total order to four A350F aircraft, forms the backbone of Silk Way West Airlines’ fleet modernization and expansion strategy.
Read: Dubai Airshow 2025 Day 2: Highlights and key announcements
Wolfgang Mayer, President, Silk Way West Airlines, said: “We are pleased to extend our partnership with Airbus on the A350F programme. This order, which brings our total commitment to four aircraft, represents a significant milestone in our company’s growth and reflects our confidence in the future of sustainable air freight. The A350F will strengthen our leadership position in the global air freight market as we continue to modernize our fleet and reduce our carbon footprint.”
“This repeat order from Silk Way West Airlines, the largest cargo airline in the Caspian region, is a major vote of confidence as the A350F literally takes shape on our assembly lines,” said Benoit de Saint-Exupery, Airbus Executive Vice President Sales for Commercial Aircraft Business. “The A350F will ensure the airline maintains its leading position in the global air cargo market and enable its key role in developing Azerbaijan as a major global cargo hub in the heart of the Silk Road.”
Etihad Cargo expands cargo capabilities with additional orders for A350F aircraft
Etihad Airways has announced a major expansion of its Airbus widebody fleet with the placement of a firm order for six A330-900 aircraft, becoming the newest customer for the A330neo. In addition, the airline revealed an order for seven additional A350-1000 aircraft (bringing its total of the type to 27) and three A350F aircraft (bringing the airline’s A350F commitment to 10 aircraft).
The agreement was signed during the Dubai Airshow, where Etihad Airways also announced its commitment to lease nine A330-900 aircraft from Avolon.
“These aircraft enhance our operations across medium, long-haul and freighter. The A330neo provides the right mix of efficiency and flexibility for our regional and medium-haul growth, while the A350-1000 continues to deliver exceptional performance on our long-haul network. The A350F freighter adds significant capacity to our freighter division as global demand continues to expand. Our partnership with Airbus continues to play an important role in shaping our future fleet, and we are proud to be building one of them. From our state-of-the-art widebody operations And efficiency in the world said Antonaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways.
“Etihad Airways’ continued investment in our latest generation wide-body aircraft is a testament to the strength of our partnership and our shared vision for the future of aviation in the UAE and beyond,” said Benoit de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus Executive Vice President Sales for Commercial Aircraft Business. “The combination of the A350 and A330neo families will provide unparalleled efficiency and flexibility to Etihad Airways’ operations, supporting its future development.”
Emirates Airlines and ENOC Group sign a memorandum of understanding to explore sustainable aviation fuel supplies in Dubai
Emirates Airlines and ENOC Group today announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding to explore and develop joint initiatives to supply Emirates with sustainable aviation fuel at its main hub in Dubai.
The memorandum of understanding was signed on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow by Adel Al Redha, Emirates Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, and Hussain Sultan Lootah, Acting CEO of ENOC Group.
The MoU establishes a framework for feasibility studies to evaluate supply opportunities for the SAF in Dubai, including supply chain infrastructure, production capabilities, and commercial viability. This cooperation aims to explore ways to develop the infrastructure for the production and supply of economically viable Sudanese Armed Forces in Dubai, with ENOC evaluating its potential contribution to local production. A joint steering committee will guide the evaluation process.
Adel Al Redha, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, said: “Emirates continues to explore ways to integrate the adoption of sustainable aviation fuel into our operations, and this partnership with ENOC represents an important step in this journey. Providing a reliable supply of Sudanese aviation fuel at our Dubai hub is a key priority, and this collaboration allows us to evaluate the most feasible paths for integration. We recognize that there is significant work ahead to address supply constraints and infrastructure requirements, but such partnerships are essential to identifying practical solutions and building the foundation for broader SAF access in Dubai.” And ultimately through our network.”
Hussain Sultan Lootah, Acting CEO of ENOC Group, said: “At ENOC, we recognize the critical role that sustainable aviation fuel plays in reducing carbon emissions in the aviation sector. This MoU with Emirates reflects our shared commitment to developing local sustainable aviation fuel production and the infrastructure needed to make low-carbon aviation a reality. As the UAE works to provide 1% of its national airlines’ aviation fuel from locally produced sustainable aviation fuel by 2031, we believe this cooperation brings us one step closer to this goal.” We will continue to invest in innovation, strengthen partnerships, and explore practical paths to build reliable SAF supply chains that support the UAE’s ambition to achieve the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
Buraq Airlines becomes a new customer of Airbus with a commitment to purchase 10 aircraft from the A320neo family
Al-Buraq Air, the first private Libyan airline, signed a memorandum of understanding to purchase 10 aircraft from the A320neo family, becoming a new customer of Airbus. The agreement was signed at the Dubai Air Show by Fawzi Al Maqaleh, Chairman of the General Assembly of Buraq Aviation, and Benoit de Saint-Exupéry, Executive Vice President of Commercial Aircraft Business Sales at Airbus.
Fawzi Al Maqaleh said: “This agreement represents an important step forward for Al Buraq Air as we continue to modernize our fleet and serve more destinations. The efficiency and flexibility of the A320neo will not only be key to strengthening our core network, but will also provide a seamless platform for Medsky Airlines, our key strategic partner, to jointly enhance passenger offerings across our two carriers.”
Benoit de Saint-Exupéry said: “We are pleased to welcome Al-Buraq Air as a new Airbus customer for the A320 family and thank them for their trust. This agreement strengthens the A320neo as the aircraft of choice for fleet modernization and we are committed to supporting Al-Buraq Air’s strategic expansion plan.”
The A320 family is the world’s most popular single-aisle aircraft, having won more than 19,000 orders globally. The family includes the largest member, the A321neo, which offers unparalleled range and performance. The family delivers at least 20 percent fuel savings and CO2 reduction compared to the previous generation single-aisle aircraft, while maximizing passenger comfort with one of the widest single-aisle cabins in the sky.
Emirates and Air Canada expand strategic partnership
Emirates and Air Canada have announced their commitment to expanding the scope of their strategic partnership, building on the success of a three-year-old agreement between two of the world’s leading airlines. Since launching its strategic partnership in 2022, the airlines have already served more than 550,000 customers, connecting travelers across 56 codeshare routes linking Canada, the US, Dubai and key destinations around the world. The airlines signed a memorandum of understanding to extend the mutual codeshare and loyalty partnership until December 31, 2032. The renewed agreement will deepen their cooperation, lead to improved services for customers and cargo shippers, and create the potential for new gateways within Canada in the codeshare network.
Avolon leases five new aircraft to Centrum Air
Avolon, a leading global aviation finance company, has agreed to lease five Airbus A320 family aircraft to Centrum Air, an airline launched in 2023 and the largest private airline in Uzbekistan. The deal was announced today at the Dubai Air Show.
Avolon added Centrum Air as a customer earlier this year with the lease of an A320-200 that was delivered last month. The new aircraft are scheduled to be delivered in 2026 and 2027.
Centrum Air currently flies to more than 40 domestic and international destinations including Dubai, Istanbul, Delhi, Seoul, Guangzhou, Bangkok, Phuket and Male. The new aircraft will support Centrum Air’s expansion and growth plans.
Avalon had 347 A320neo family aircraft on order as of September 30, 2025.
Paul Jenny, President and Chief Commercial Officer of Avolon, commented: “We are pleased to strengthen our relationship with Centrum Air and provide them with additional capacity to support their growth plans. Our significant order book of new technology aircraft, in a market with limited supply, provides us with exciting potential to support our customers’ plans to expand into the fast-growing Central Asian aviation market.”
Abdulaziz Abdurakhmanov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Centrum Air, commented: “We are pleased to expand our partnership with Avolon as we continue to grow our fleet and strengthen our international network. These new aircraft will play an important role in supporting our strategic plans for expansion and improving the travel experience for our passengers. This cooperation represents another milestone in Centrum Air’s long-term development.”
Emirates Airlines orders the purchase of eight additional Airbus A350-900 aircraft worth $3.4 billion
Emirates, the world’s largest international air carrier, today announced orders for 8 additional Airbus A350-900 aircraft, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB84 engines, at the 2025 Dubai Airshow.
This additional order is worth US$3.4 billion at list prices and will boost the airline’s A350-900 fleet to a total of 73 units when all deliveries are completed. So far, Emirates has received 13 A350 aircraft.
The additional Emirates A350-900 aircraft ordered today are expected to be delivered during 2031.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, said: “The entry of the Emirates A350 into service last November has given us welcome additional capacity. It has also enabled us to offer Emirates’ latest products on board to a greater number of customers, including Premium Economy Class seats. We look forward to working closely with Airbus to deliver our remaining aircraft, including the new units we have ordered today.”
“Combined with the additional order of Boeing 777-9 aircraft announced earlier this week, Emirates now has a total of 375 units of the latest wide-body aircraft on its order book. This is a huge investment in our future, a better future of aviation for our customers, and also the future of aviation in terms of job and value creation.”
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