Ethiopian Airlines added to Boeing’s Dubai Airshow sales successes with the announcement of firm orders for 20 Boeing 737-8 Maxes and eleven 787-9 airliners, with options for up to 21 more 737s and 25 more 787s. The airline also has contracted Boeing to conduct a major interior refit on its 787 fleet.

Due to scant availability of production slots, deliveries of the new aircraft will not start until 2026, with the last due in 2030. They will follow deliveries of 25 airplanes on order from both Airbus and Boeing set to arrive in Addis Ababa over the next two years. The airline will fill the gap in deliveries by leasing more aircraft in the interim.

The Eurofighter Typhoon from the Kuwaiti Air Force (KAF), made its first major overseas public appearance. The KAF ordered 22 single-seaters and six two-seaters in April 2016, with Eurofighter partner Leonardo taking the lead in overseeing the order and assembling the aircraft at its Caselle plant near Turin. Deliveries got under way in late 2021. Kuwait’s aircraft are notable for being the first operational Typhoons to be fitted with the Captor-E radar with an active electronically scanned array.

Bangalore could serve as India’s launch city for flights using eVTOL aircraft as Eve Air Mobility and Hunch Mobility—a joint venture between Hunch Ventures and Blade Air Mobility—work to bring electric commuter flights to the subcontinent. The companies are working with local, state, and federal officials, and IT technology and service providers to ensure the appropriate infrastructure is in place to introduce urban air mobility services.

“This launch city announcement is the next step in a great relationship that Hunch Mobility and Eve have built to co-create the urban air mobility ecosystem in India,” said Johann Bordais, CEO of Eve Air Mobility. “India is an incredibly important market for urban air mobility and our goal is to work with Hunch Mobility to provide residents with an additional efficient and affordable mode of transportation to ease commuting times in one of the most heavily populated cities in the world.”

Amid the continuing intense military conflict in Gaza, Israeli aerospace and defense companies projected a minimal presence at this year’s Dubai Airshow following its historic debut at the event in 2021. As the event opened on Monday morning, only local representatives from Elbit Systems and Rafael occupied their stands in the exhibit hall while the Israel Aerospace Industries exhibit remained roped off.

Still, company representatives indicated that they could arrange meetings with senior leaders. Also among the Israeli contingent, government-owned rocket propulsion group Tomer and Flyvercity, an air traffic management and uncrewed air vehicles specialist, made the trip to Dubai.

Leonardo is displaying the latest skid-equipped version of its AW169 utility helicopter at the Dubai Airshow. It recently delivered the example on show to Italy’s Guardia di Finanza (GdF) and airlifted it to Dubai for the airshow and customer demonstrations within the UAE, including to local operators that fly some 10 of the original wheeled version.

The acquisition of more than 20 AW169s by the GdF, 17 to 18 for the Italian Carabinieri police force, and 50 for the Italian army highlights the AW169’s suitability for government agency operations such as military tasks, law enforcement, and rescue. The type also suits civilian offshore support missions.

Despite being barred from exhibiting at many of the world’s aviation exhibitions and trade shows, Russia’s aerospace industry projects a significant presence at the Dubai Airshow, with a large dedicated pavilion adjoining the static display. The industry’s attendance highlights the return to Dubai of the air and space force’s Russian Knights display team, which flies a mix of Sukhoi Su-30SM and Su-35S fighters.

United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), part of the Rostec State Corporation and encompassing the greater majority of Russia’s fixed-wing aircraft output, features a number of its products in the pavilion. One of them—the latest version of the Ilyushin Il-76 airlifter—has been a popular aircraft for both commercial and military cargo/airlift operations in the Middle East.