Status: 11/16/2021 11:23 a.m.
Airbus has already landed three large orders at the air show in Dubai – including the largest order since the beginning of the Corona crisis. The aircraft manufacturer continues to expect increasing demand.
The air show in Dubai has so far been a complete success for the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus. The group has already received three major orders from the emirate. The airline Jazeera Airways from Kuwait has signed a preliminary contract for 28 aircraft from the A320neo model family, Airbus announced today.
At the start of the trade fair on Sunday, the US company Indigo Partners had a total of 255 Airbus jets from the A321neo- Row ordered. Among them are 29 copies in the new long-haul version A321XLR. Thanks to a range of 8700 kilometers, the machine is also suitable for flights from Central Europe across the Atlantic. The deal is the largest order since the pandemic broke out.
Air freight is becoming increasingly popular
Yesterday, the aircraft financier Air Lease Corporation (ALC) announced the purchase of 111 aircraft – including the new cargo version of the Airbus A350 wide-body jet, which should not be ready for delivery until the middle of the decade. The dispatch of medical aid supplies and personal protective equipment gave freight traffic an upswing at the beginning of the Corona crisis, which was intensified by the boom in electronic commerce.
Recently, manufacturers around the world have increasingly turned to air freight to avoid congested ports, overcrowded ships, and truck bottlenecks that have delayed the delivery of cheaper goods by land and sea. “We respond to the request to compete in the market,” said Airbus sales manager Christian Scherer at a press conference. The freight market has so far been dominated by US rival Boeing.
Aviation industry recovery in sight
The latest deal with Jazeera Airways at the fair, which runs until Thursday, includes 20 jets in the standard A320neo version, eight copies of the longer A321neo and the option of five more aircraft. At list prices, the 28 jets are valued at more than $ 3.5 billion. However, high discounts are common when ordering aircraft.
For almost two years, international tourism was as good as paralyzed for travelers due to the Corona restrictions. Airlines and manufacturers were badly hit. After the outbreak of the pandemic, Airbus slipped into the red at times. At the moment, interest is slowly picking up again with a view to the increasing number of corona vaccinations and a gradual normalization when traveling.
The current orders are also a clear signal of the recovery in the aviation industry, which could continue for the time being. Because Airbus, like its US rival Boeing, expects demand for aircraft to continue to rise in the next two decades until 2040. By then, around 39,000 new passenger and cargo planes will be needed worldwide, Airbus announced in Dubai.
Boeing presents modern large-capacity jet for the first time
This is not just about further expanding the fleet. According to the company, a good 15,000 of the new jets are likely to replace older and more fuel-thirsty machines. According to Airbus, the lion’s share of demand is likely to come from short- and medium-haul jets such as the Airbus models A320neo and A220 and the Boeing 737 Max, at just under 29,700 units.
Meanwhile, Boeing scored points with its cargo planes when it came to orders. Boeing will also be showing its modernized 777X wide-body jet to the public for the first time at the trade fair in Dubai. The machine is the successor to the bestseller 777 and should consume around ten percent less fuel.