Boeing

After muted presence in Paris and at Farnborough, Boeing’s 777-9 arrives in Dubai ahead of airshow

During the last Dubai Airshow in 2023, Boeing also had the 777-9 on static and flying displays.

Photo: Boeing

A Boeing 777-9 has arrived at Dubai Al Maktoum International Airport, also known as Dubai World Central (DWC), ahead of the Dubai Airshow, where Boeing will have an extensive presence compared to its muted appearances at the Farnborough International Airshow in 2024 and Paris Air Show in 2025.

The 777-9, registered as N779XW, arrived at DWC at 13:40 local time (UTC +4) on November 12, after the aircraft, one of five testbeds and the first 777-9 to take to the skies in January 2020, departed King County International Airport (BFI) at 10:31 local time (UTC -8).

For Boeing, the 2025 rendition of the Dubai Airshow, which will kick off on November 17, will be the first time in two years that it will have a flying and a static display of the type at a major airshow. According to the planemaker’s statement on November 6, it “will showcase its leading commercial, defense and services portfolio at the Dubai Airshow 2025,” underscoring its commitment to the Middle East.

In addition to the 777-9, which “appear in the flying and static displays,” Boeing will also bring a full-size 777X interior section, as well as several customers’ Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) and commercial aircraft.

This includes Emirates’ 777-300ER, and flydubai’s and SCAT Airlines’ 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

“Dubai Airshow is an opportunity to celebrate these achievements, reaffirm our commitment to national visions, and look ahead to the next era of aerospace growth,” Brendan Nelson, the President of Boeing Global, said.

In July 2024, Boeing’s presence at the Farnborough International Airshow was fairly minimal, and it also included a full-size 777X interior section. Several days before the event kicked off, the planemaker said that it had “tailored its presence” at the event as it had focused “on strengthening safety and quality and meeting customer commitments, while also highlighting next-generation technologies and capabilities.”

The planemaker was still dealing with the fallout from the mid-air door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9, which was operating flight AS 1282. The jet, flying from Portland International Airport (PDX) to Ontario International Airport (ONT), lost its door plug at around 14,830 feet (4,520 meters), forcing a diversion back to PDX.

Following the incident, which did not result in any fatalities, regulators and customers increased their scrutiny over Boeing, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) not only mandating a plan from the company to fix its quality-related issues, but also limiting the production of the 737 MAX to 38 per month. The cap has since been lifted.

Before the Paris Air Show, which took place between June 16 and June 22, 2025, on June 9, Boeing outlined that it would continue to focus on strengthening “safety, quality, and our culture,” according to Kelly Ortberg, the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the planemaker.

The Air India 787-8 crash on June 12, unfortunately, changed those plans.

The fatal accident resulted in the deaths of 12 crew members, 229 passengers, and 19 people on the ground, per India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) preliminary report. Indian investigators have yet to release the final report of the accident.

Ortberg was scheduled to attend the event together with Stephanie Pope, the President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA). Both executives canceled their trips, and in an internal message to its employees, Ortberg said that they would instead “be with our team and focus on our customer and the investigation,” according to Reuters.

The New York Times later reported that at the event, Boeing’s building had bouquets of red and white roses with a tribute that said “Honoring those affected by Air India Flight 171.”

Dubai Airshow will be an opportunity for Boeing to return to form, hopefully instilling confidence in its customers that it can still deliver the 777-9. The planemaker once again delayed the type’s commercial entry date to 2027 when it announced its Q3 results on October 29.

At the last Dubai Airshow in 2023, Boeing also deployed a 777-9 for static and flying displays.