Dubai Airshow: Off to a flying start

Dubai Airshow 2017 took off in spectacular fashion on Sunday with Boeing clinching a surprise first-round victory over Airbus by bagging a $15.1 billion Emirates order for which the trans-Atlantic rivals had been engaged in a long-drawn battle.

Suspense and surprise were in the air as Emirates, the world's largest wide-body fleet operator, announced at a delayed press conference its commitment to purchase 40 787-10 Dreamliners.

The announcement of the deal, which came amid rumours of a possible Airbus sale involving its A380, appeared to dash Airbus hopes of giving a fillip to its superjumbo programme with a widely expected 36-38 new aircraft orders from the Dubai-based carrier.

The deal with Boeing, including 40 airplanes and related equipment, is valued at $15.1 billion at current list prices.

The opening day of the biennial Dubai Airshow that was inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, also witnessed Azerbaijan Airlines President Jahangir Askerov announcing an order for five Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner while the UAE Defence Ministry sealing a Dh6 billion deal with Lockheed Martin Corp to upgrade F-16 jet fighters. On the first day, the show recorded total deals worth more than $17 billion.

Sheikh Mohammed took a walking tour around the 645,000 square metre site, pausing to speak with several exhibitors. He was accompanied by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces; and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.

Speaking at a press conference on the choice of Dreamliners over Boeing's competitor Airbus, specifically its A350, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates airline and Group, said: "We were comparing two apples, but found that the Boeing 787 is the best option for Emirates."

"Emirates' orders today will be delivered from 2022, taking the airline well into the 2030s. Some of these will be replacements so that we maintain a young and efficient fleet, and others will power our future network growth. We see the 787 as a great complement to our 777 and A380 fleet, providing us with more flexibility to serve a range of destinations as we develop our global route network," said Sheikh Ahmed.

"It has always been Emirates' strategy to invest in the most advanced and efficient aircraft, and today's orders reflect that. Today's announcement also speaks to our confidence in the future of aviation in the UAE and the region," he said.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Kevin McAllister said 787-10 would set a new benchmark for operating economics in the commercial aviation industry when it enters service next year.

"Emirates' endorsement of the 787 Dreamliner extends our long-standing partnership and will sustain many jobs in the United States."

Emirates, which is the world's largest operator of two iconic wide-body aircraft - the A380 and Boeing 777 - will be the first to receive the new 777X in 2020. In selecting the 787-10, Emirates complements its 777 fleet with a medium twin-aisle airplane that offers 25 percent better fuel efficiency per seat and emissions than the airplanes it replaces, Boeing said. The 787-10 is the largest member of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner family, which is the fastest-selling twin-aisle airplane in history.

With the new order, Emirates will have 204 wide-body aircraft in its fleet.

Another highlight on the opening day - marked by a record number of exhibitors, aircraft on display, visitors - and an array of ground-breaking deals - was the unveiling by Dubai-based flydubai its brand-new Boeing 737 Max 8. The new aircraft, bearing the UAE registration mark A6-Max, is the first of 76 aircraft on order from Boeing; all of which will be delivered by 2023. Six of these aircraft will join the flydubai fleet by the end of the last quarter of 2017.

Today at the show, Airbus is expected to strike a deal with Emirates to buy back some of the earlier A380s as they leave Dubai-based carrier's fleet as part of trade-in.

At the start of the air show on Sunday, Emirates unveiled new, state-of-the-art, first class private suites.

In an industry first, passenger suites in the middle aisle without windows will be fitted with "virtual windows" relaying the sky outside via fiber optic cameras on the plane. There's also a video call feature in the suites that connects passengers to the cabin crew, as well as temperature control and various mood lighting settings.

Sheikh Mohammed toured the exhibition where he inspected a number of military and civilian aircraft.

He also received heads and members of the delegations of the countries participating in the exhibition at the exhibition Majlis.

Present during the inauguration of the 15th edition of the show were Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Lt-General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance, Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi, Minister of State for Defence Affairs, and Lt-General Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithi, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces.

Source: Khaleej Times