8 things we're looking forward to at the Dubai Airshow this week

• Insider is attending the Dubai Airshow, which hosts some of aviation's latest and greatest innovations.
• Boeing is showing off its 777X, the world's largest twin-engine aircraft. Airbus is bringing its largest twin-engine jets.

DUBAI - The Dubai Airshow officially kicked off on Sunday, marking the start of the first international airshow of the pandemic.

International air shows are a time for aircraft manufacturers to show off their latest innovations, while airlines and other aircraft operators display their newest purchases and often make new ones. And with nearly two years without this type of meetup, there's plenty for the industry to catch up on.

In the commercial aviation realm, Boeing and Airbus are - unsurprisingly - the main attractions with support from their airline partners. But smaller players including Brazil's Embraer and Russia's Irkut Corporation are also in attendance with the hopes of winning orders for their competing products, offering airlines an alternative to the biggest in the business.

Private aviation is another focus, with manufacturers like Dassault Aviation and Bombardier showing off their new flagship business aircraft. Private charter firms, including Comlux and VistaJet, will also make the case for why their high-end aircraft are worth thousands of dollars an hour to charter.

And of course, the military, space, and defense industrial complexes will be present, with the US, Indian, French, Japanese, and UAE militaries bringing what amounts to a small air force in a display of military might. That's all in addition to the startups filling the convention hall that promise to revolutionize the aviation industry.

Insider is on the ground at the Dubai Airshow. Here's what we're most looking forward to in the commercial, cargo, and private aviation realms.

1. Boeing's latest and most controversial aircraft on display

The Boeing 777X is making its first-ever international debut and will be welcoming select attendees onboard for a sneak peek at what's to come from the landmark aircraft. Insider is those invited onboard for a first look.

The ultra-modern variant of the popular Boeing 777 family of aircraft promises increased efficiency and additional seating capacity to its previous generation sibling. And in addition to the 777X being the largest twin-engine plane slated to fly passengers, the two GE Aviation GE9X engines will be the largest commercial aircraft engines in the world.

Boeing will also perform a flying display with the aircraft to demonstrate its capabilities to a crowd that's been following the aircraft's journey, through its delays and all, since its first flight in early 2020.

The 777X's presence in Dubai is likely an homage to Emirates as the launch customer and soon-to-be largest operator of the aircraft. More than 100 777X will fill the Emirates fleet in the next few decades, based on its current order.

Boeing would also be hoping to land additional orders for the aircraft that's already garnered interest from the world's leading carriers. But orders for the smaller 777-8 will be key as most existing orders are focused on the larger 777-9.

The Boeing 737 Max is set to be a prominent feature at the Dubai Airshow with two static aircraft on display. Boeing, in partnership with Alaska Airlines, is displaying the 737 Max 9 EcoDemonstrator aircraft that is being used to test new technology aimed at reducing the aviation industry's carbon footprint.

Alternatively, the UAE's own FlyDubai is set to have its 737 Max on display as the region's largest operator of the model. The budget carrier recently unveiled a new business class cabin for the aircraft including lie-flat seats, pushing the bounds of comfort on a narrow-body aircraft in a way most 737 Max operators have been unwilling to do.

The Max displays come less than a year since the Federal Aviation Administration ungrounded the aircraft following two deadly crashes that resulted in the loss of 346 lives, attributable to a Boeing software issue.

Boeing's newest military aerial refueler, the KC-46 Pegasus, will also be on display as part of the US Air Force delegation. The aircraft has been plagued with scandal that's benefited its rival, Airbus and the A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport, the Airbus refueler which will also be at the Dubai Airshow.

2. Emirates giving the world's largest passenger jet a new lease on life

The Airbus A380 hasn't fared well during the pandemic as it quickly became a symbol for the opulence and excess that airlines needed to cut. And the result was groundings en masse for the likes of Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, and more.

Airbus, meanwhile, had already been drawing down production of the A380 with the final deliveries slated to All Nippon Airways and Emirates as the final two airlines still taking deliveries. The numbered days of the A380 appeared to dwindle as air travel recovered.

Emirates, however, announced a new investment in A380 to see to give it a brand new passenger cabin. All classes of service will see enhancements and a new premium economy class is being added.

One of the newly-refreshed A380s will be in attendance at Dubai. Insider will be on board.

3. The best of private aviation with one notable exception

Bombardier will show off its flagship business aircraft, the Global 7500 jet, which holds the title of the largest and longest-ranged purpose-built private jet currently in service. Both Bombardier and long-time customer VistaJet will have the Global 7500 on display.

Insider will be sitting down with Bombardier's new CEO, Eric Martel, to talk about the manufacturer's shift to an all-aviation product line.

Dassault Aviation will have two aircraft on display including a cabin mock-up of the Falcon 10X, its soon-to-be largest private jet set to go up against leaders from Bombardier and Gulfstream. Industry experts are particularly excited about the Falcon 10X given its performance capabilities, interior design, and overall spacious cabin.

Gulfstream is not attending this year's Dubai Airshow, and its absence is notable given the manufacturer has three new aircraft currently in development. Most notably, the Gulfstream G700 that made the rounds over the summer on a global tour will not be making the trek to Dubai.

But even with three new aircraft in the pipeline, Gulfstream is ceding Dubai to its French, Canadian, and Brazilian rivals.

Boeing is bringing one of its 737 airliner-turned-private-jets, known as Boeing Business Jets, to Dubai, but it won't be on display at the airshow. Rather, select attendees, including Insider, will be shuttled to Dubai International Airport for tours.

Airbus, for its part, will show off an Airbus Corporate Jet 320neo, the private jet variant of the A320neo airliner.
These flying penthouse apartments are intended for a particularly wealthy type of traveler than can afford the ultra-high expense of purchasing and maintaining an airline for private use.

Embraer is showing off its Praetor 600 super-midsize aircraft that's becoming popular with major private jet firms including Flexjet.

Aircraft completion specialist Citadel Completions will also bring a rare private jet to the skies, another airliner-turned-private jet based on the Airbus A340-500 airliner. The four-engine private offers a nearly unbeatable combination of living space and range, with the A340-500 a former favorite of airlines to fly ultra-long-haul routes.

Other private aircraft manufacturers in attendance include Pilatus, Irkut Corporation, Textron Aviation, and Tecnam.

4. A Brazilian and European rivalry on full display

Airbus and Embraer will both bring their next-generation aircraft that are fighting for control in the 100-150-seat market.

Embraer is bringing its Embraer E195-E2 demonstration aircraft, featuring a special paint livery with a tiger on the nose and called the "Profit Hunter." Sales have been poor when compared to Airbus despite Embraer touting better operating economics over its Airbus competitor.

Airbus and Air Baltic will be showing off the Airbus A220, formerly known as the Bombardier CSeries. Airlines around the world have fallen for the A220 while Embraer has struggled to keep up commercially. It's been losing long-time customers, including JetBlue Airways and Air Canada to the Airbus jet.

5. Russia's answer to the Boeing 737 Max and Airbus A320 family of aircraft

Russia's Irkut Corporation is nearing the finish line on a new jet to compete against Boeing and Airbus' 150-to-200-seat aircraft market. The MC-21 is made with composite materials and powered by turbofan engines.

It's unlikely that a Western airline will place an order but the jet could show promise in Europe and Asia.

6. Israel comes to town

Israel is set to have a major presence at the Dubai Airshow for the first time in the event's history. The recent easing of tensions between Israel and the UAE under the Abraham Accords paved the way for Israel's attendance.

Israel Aerospace Industries is one Israeli company that will make its first-ever journey to the Dubai Airshow, highlighting its experience in defense systems, passenger-to-cargo aircraft conversations, and maintenance and repair operations.

7. Never-before-seen aircraft

Etihad Airways is bringing the Airbus A350-1000 XWB to Dubai in a first-ever public display. Despite the airline taking delivery of five models from Airbus, according to Planespotters.net, not one has flown a paying passenger.

If Etihad CEO Tony Douglas keeps his promise to retire the airline's A380s, the A350-1000 will become the second-largest aircraft in the Etihad fleet behind the Boeing 777-300ER. That is, until the Boeing 777X joins the fleet and makes the Airbus A350-1000 the third-largest plane in the fleet.

8. Leonardo shows off the civilian version of a popular military aircraft

The Leonardo AW609 is one of the most unique aircraft coming to the Dubai Airshow as it's one that can take off and fly like a plane or helicopter. Vertical takeoff and land aircraft are a special type of aircraft merging the best of fixed-wing aircraft with the flexibility a helicopter offers.

The US Air Force is also bringing its Bell Boeing MV-22B Osprey, one of the aircraft that protects the US president, to the Dubai Airshow.

Are you at the Dubai Airshow and want to get in touch with Insider? Email this reporter at tpallini@Insider.com.