Boeing wins $9.7 b order from Emirates
Boeing wins $9.7 b order from Emirates
Agence France-Presse, Dubai
Dubai flag carrier Emirates kicked off a major air show on Sunday with a US$9.7-billion order for Boeing's new long-haul 777 airliner, a major coup for the U.S. manufacturer in its battle with European rival Airbus.
The order was announced on the opening day of the Dubai Air Show.
"We are investing in more new aircraft to meet the escalating demand for Emirates services from our customers across the globe. This new order will support the airline growth plans and enhance our fleet range and versatility," Emirates chairman Sheikh Ahmad bin Saeed al-Maktoum said.
"This is a firm order worth $9.7 billion ... The contract will have a purchase right for 20 more," he said.
Emirates, one of the fastest growing airlines in the skies, also signed an agreement worth up to $3 billion with General Electric of the United States for GE-90 engines to power the new wide-bodied Boeings.
The Boeing order alone dwarfs the nearly $7.5 billion in deals inked at the last show two years ago, including $3 billion in orders for Airbus jets by Qatar, another rich Gulf state flush with cash from growing natural gas sales.
Emirates has already ordered 45 of the Airbus A380 as it embarks on an ambitious quest to turn Dubai into a major hub linking Europe to Asia, Australia and Africa.
The A380, the world's biggest passenger jet, made its maiden flight to the Middle East on Saturday, arriving in Dubai on the eve of the aviation show opened by the emirate's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum.
He climbed aboard an A380 emblazoned with Emirates colors, accompanied by the European aircraft maker's chief executive officer Gustav Humbert and the head of parent company EADS Noel Forgeard.
Authorities in the booming city boast that the ninth edition of the Dubai show, which was last held in 2003, will be 25 percent bigger this year, with nearly 10,000 square meters more exhibition space.
The four-day event is being held at a sprawling expo center next to the airport bringing together 726 exhibitors from 46 countries, organizers say.
It is also attracting more players and officials from the defense and military aviation industries than previous years.
The head of Qatar Airways said he was unfazed by the big plans of Emirates and the entry of Etihad Airways, which was launched in 2003 by the government of Abu Dhabi, the richest of the seven emirates that make up the federation of the United Arab Emirates.
"There is enough business and enough expansion opportunities for all of us," Akbar al-Baker told AFP. "We want to stay a very up-market, very passenger focused and very service-oriented airline."
He said although Qatar Airways will not be making any new order announcements in Dubai it is still in the market for new planes.
It had placed an order for 60 Airbus A350s and 20 Boeing 777s at the last major air show at Le Bourget in France in June.
So far, Airbus has received more than 150 orders for the A380, with options for another 100. It counts among its other customers Qatar Airways, Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways, China Southern Airlines and Thai Airways.