Airbus gained 160 orders and commitments at the Dubai Airshow 2013, worth approximately $44 billion, the company announced, highlighting the strong appeal of its widebody aircraft.
According to Airbus, the A380 and A350 XWB were shown to meet customer requirements and expectations exceptionally well.
The Airbus order-book has 142 firm orders worth a total of $40.4 billion and includes:
- 50 x A380
- 40 x A350-900
- 10 x A350-1000
- 26 x A321neo
- 10 x A320neo
- 6 x A330-200F
As well as 18 Memorandum of Understanding worth $3.6 billion.
Emirates placed the largest single order – fifty additional A380s – at a list price value of $20 billion.
Etihad Airways ordered 87 aircraft worth $19 billion at list prices:
- 40 x A350-900
- 10 x A350-1000
- 26 x A321neo
- 10 x A320neo
- one x A330-200F
There were 14 orders and commitments worth $3 billion for the versatile A330-200F; 5 firm orders from Qatar Airways Cargo as well as 8 commitments, plus one firm order from Etihad Airways.
A commitment worth $648 million for three A330-200 passenger aircraft was signed with Air Algérie, Algeria’s national carrier.
Tripoli-based Lybian Wings signed a commitment for three A350-900s and four A320neos.
Airbus Chief Operating Officer Customers, John Leahy, said:
“With its central position geographically, its strong economic growth and population-centers just a flight away, Middle Eastern carriers stand to reap the benefits of traffic growth.”
”The order intake at the airshow, by value our biggest ever Dubai, is a clear evidence that the Middle East region is investing in the most modern and efficient aircraft to capture this growth.”
Airlines choosing larger aircraft
Airbus says that as passenger numbers increase, airlines are opting for larger aircraft or up-sizing their existing backlogs.
London’s Heathrow Airport says that larger passenger airplanes, like the A380, make the best use of limited slots and contribute to increasing passenger numbers without filling up the sky with additional flights.
Airbus wrote: “A focus on sustainable growth enabled fuel burn and noise reductions of at least 70 per cent in the last 40 years and this trend continues with innovative products like the A320neo, the A320 Sharklet, the A380 and the A350 XWB.”