DUBAI, 9 June 2005 — Fast-growing Gulf airlines might be set to surprise the Paris Air Show again with Qatar Airways already expected to disclose a lucrative order for some 60 new planes at the top industry exhibition opening next week.
The Doha-based airline, which surprised the last biennial air show in 2003 at Le Bourget with an order for 32 new Airbuses, is negotiating with the European aerospace giant and its US rival Boeing for a new order of some 60 aeroplanes, an aviation industry source said.
“The deal will comprise either the new Boeing 787 or Airbus’s A350, or both,” depending on the final outcome of the negotiations, the Doha-based source told AFP, requesting anonymity.
“Negotiations with Boeing and Airbus have reached an advanced stage,” he said.
Boeing vice president John Feren had announced in November that the US aerospace giant was in negotiations to supply Qatar Airways with the long-haul airliner 7E7 Dreamliner, which was given its 787 designation in January 2005.
Clinching a deal with Qatar’s flag-carrier would be a first for Boeing, as Airbus aircraft make up the airline’s entire fleet.
Qatar Airways currently operates a fleet of 40 aircraft from its Doha hub. The expected deal falls in line with its objective to increase its fleet to 110 aircraft within 10 years.
Emirates, which also awed the industry during the last Paris Air Show by ordering 41 Airbuses, is remaining tight-lipped about possible orders this time round.
“There will be (Emirates’) people attending the air show ... (but) there are no orders at this stage,” Daniel Ford, a spokesman for the Dubai-based airlines said. “No announcement to make at present.”
Emirates, which is already the largest future client of giant Airbus A380 with 43 aircraft ordered, denied last month reports that it had decided to make a $6 billion order for 50 Airbus A-350s.
It said it was still looking into Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, 777-300ER and 777-200LR as options.
The fleet of the airline, owned by the Dubai government, comprises more than 50 aircraft and is expected to increase to 125 by 2012.
Other Gulf-based airlines - overshadowed by the fast growth of Emirates and Qatar Airways - are not expected to reveal new orders at Le Bourget.
Gulf Air, owned by the governments of Bahrain, Oman and Abu Dhabi, is going through the last of a three-year strategic recovery program, after notching up $700 million in debt by the end of 2002.
Its plight has been traced to the decision by Oman and Qatar, which used to be a co-owner, to launch their own airlines.
Another newly launched company, Etihad Airways, owned by the government of Abu Dhabi, said it has no new orders to announce.
It ordered 24 Airbus planes last year. That included four of the superjumbo A380 models, four A340-600s and four A340-500s, as well as an option on 12 additional planes for a total of $7 billion.
Saudi Arabian Airlines also said it has no orders to announce in the near future as the fully state-owned company had just finalized a deal to buy 15 new planes.
“Company representatives will attend the air show for educational purposes ... but not to place orders,” spokesman Qahtan Belkheir said.
“We bought 15 new planes of the 66-seater Embraer 170 in April for domestic flights,” he added.