Dubai Airshow 2013 rolled out with the Gulf region’s major carriers announcing some of the biggest aviation deals in history.
There was as much speculation swirling around the size of the orders before the event as there was desert sand outside the nearby Al Maktoum airport.
However few predicted that $192.3 billion worth of deals for commercial jets (at list prices) would be announced on the first day — a new record that has outstripped the orders from the entire 2007 airshow.
The region’s three big players — Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways — announced orders for 393 new commercial planes. Boeing and Airbus shared the spoils, with high demand for the 777X, Boeing’s next-generation version of the existing 777.
The Abu Dhabi based airline Etihad was the first to lay down a marker at the event: a $25.2B deal for 56 new wide-bodied Boeing aircraft, including 25 777X planes, 17 of the biggest 777-9X variants and eight of the 777-8X version.
But it was Dubai’s Emirates that revealed the largest order with a $76B deal for 150 Boeing 777X planes, plus an additional 50 Airbus A380s, worth $23 billion, to bring its order of the superjumbo up to 101. The airline currently operates 39 of the world’s largest commercial jet.
Low-cost carrier FlyDubai committed to purchasing 111 Boeing 737 jets worth $11.4B.
Doha-based Qatar Airlines added to the impressive figures for Boeing’s 777X with a $19B order for 50 of the aircraft. Lufthansa will be the forth “launch airline” to receive the new model jet when delivery begins from 2020 onwards. It has 34 on order.
The aircraft is the latest iteration of the company’s 777 series and will be manufactured with all new composite material wings. With a wingspan of 71 meters, the 777-9X is greater than the 747-800.
From: CNN
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