The UAE’s flagship carrier, Etihad Airways, is reportedly closing in on an order for more widebody jets from the Boeing 787 Dreamliner family. While the rumours suggest that the deal may be announced at the 2026 Farnborough International Airshow, the airline has already been one of Boeing’s big customers of the modern twin-aisle family, as it operates both the 787-9 and 787-10 models in its fleet.
What makes the rumours about Etihad’s latest order significant is that they come at a time when the flagship carrier, along with its Gulf peers, has found it difficult to operate freely over the Middle East’s airspace due to the ongoing Iran war. As per Reuters, the airline is eyeing a deal for 10 Dreamliners, although details on which variant or variants will be included in this rumoured order are not yet known.
Talking about Dreamliner’s role in the Etihad fleet, the Abu Dhabi-based airline already has a grand total of 47 jets from the widebody series at its disposal. The mid-sized 787-9 is the dominant variant, accounting for 37. These twinjets are 7.6 years old on average.
The remaining 10 jets are likely examples of the larger 787-10 variant. These aircraft are younger than the 787-9. Etihad has already locked in another four orders of the 787-9 and 19 more 787-10s.
Etihad’s 787-10s have the same configuration, featuring 32 business-class seats and 295 in economy. As for the 787-9, the latter has either 32 business and 271 economy seats; 28 business and 262 economy seats; or, in a three-cabin setup, eight first class, 28 business class, and 190 economy class seats.
According to current scheduling data compiled by aviation analytics company Cirium, Etihad, for July 2026, has prepared a roster that includes a total of 312 one-way departures with the 787-10 from its main hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH). While Milan has emerged as the most popular route, with 42 flights, Beijing, Hanoi and Madrid will all be served daily.