Dubai Airshow 2023: EgyptAir orders 10 Airbus A350-900s

EgyptAir unveiled the second stage of its major expansion programme on Tuesday as it announced an order for 10 Airbus A350-900s to bolster its long-haul fleet.

The signing came the day after the Egyptian flag-carrier announced plans to lease 18 Boeing 737-8s.

In both cases, the new orders will increase the fleet rather than replace existing aircraft, as the company seeks to scale up from its current 91 aircraft to 125 by 2028.

Announcing the Airbus order, EgyptAir Holdings chairman and CEO Yehia Zakaria said that the A350-900s will be delivered between 2025-2027. They will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent engines.

The internal configuration has not been detailed, but the new twinjets will carry 340 passengers; the A350 can carry between 300-410 passengers, depending on model and cabin layout. Zakaria said the new aircraft would be used on long-haul sectors, including Shanghai and Los Angeles.

The A350-900s will be funded from the company’s internal resources.

Among EgyptAir’s other priorities will be increasing its dedicated freighter fleet, with at least two A330-200s scheduled to be converted to freighters by 2025.

Meanwhile, Airbus has said that it has reached “an agreement in principle for a significant commercial aircraft order,” with Turkish Airlines.

The airframer confirmed the deal on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow, Aviation Week reported.

The proposed contract is for up to 355 aircraft, 240 of which will be firm, according to Turkish Airlines. In a filing to the Istanbul bourse the airline said that “discussions with Airbus … are ongoing.” If the deal is confirmed, the aircraft will be delivered over 10 years from 2026.