Taking Off

Dubai’s Airshow lived up to its high reputation after a tough two years for the Gulf carriers.

- Robert Anderson

If there were any fears of a low-key affair at this year’s Dubai Airshow, they were soon put to bed.

While it was not the same thick and fast action of the 2013 event where $162.6bn of orders were made by Etihad Airways, Emirates Airline, flydubai and Qatar Airways in the space of three hours, each day brought new surprises and some truly enormous deals.

Opening proceedings was Dubai airline Emirates, which just hours after unveiling a plush new first class product built in partnership with Mercedes-Benz, made a surprise order.

For many of the awaiting press it seemed Airbus had finally secured the A380 deal its sales chief John Leahy had made his mission to secure ahead of retiring by the end of the year.

But surprisingly after a long wait it was Boeing that threw the first punch, securing an Emirates order for 40 Boeing B787-10 Dreamliners worth $15.1bn.

The deal was no doubt a blow for Airbus, which had an Emirates order for 70 A350s at the 2007 Airshow cancelled in 2014, and undoubtedly drew a line under the A350-or-B787 order debate of recent years.

“We looked at the two ‘apples’ and the management, planners and maintenance … concluded the B787 will be the best option,” said Emirates chairman HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum,

But as the week went on it proved to be far from the only trick both manufacturers had up their sleeves as they fought for orders and headlines in the wider context of tough conditions for regional airlines.

The next day Boeing was back with a $2.2bn order from Kuwait-based Aviation Lease and Finance company for 20 737- MAX jets, adding to an order for 20 first made at the Paris Airshow.