DUBAI, 12 November 2007 — Emirates Airline, Qatar Airways, Riyadh-based business carrier NAS, Hong Kong based C-Jet Limited and Nigeria’s Dana Group placed firm orders for different aircraft at Dubai Air Show yesterday.
The five-day high profile air show was officially opened yesterday at Dubai Airport Expo by Sheikh Mohammed ibn Rashid Al-Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai.
Emirates Airline signed contracts for a 120 Airbus A350s, 11 A380s, and 12 Boeing 777-300ERs, estimated at $34.9 billion in list prices.
Sheikh Ahmed ibn Saeed Al-Maktoum, Emirates’ chairman and chief executive, announced the massive order at the Dubai Air Show; and signed the contracts with Tom Enders, Airbus president and CEO, and Lee Monson, vice president Middle East and Africa Sales, Boeing commercial airplanes.
The agreement with Airbus comprises firm orders for 50 A350-900s and 20 A350-1000s, plus 50 options for the A350-900s. The first A350 will be delivered to Emirates in 2014.
Emirates also firmed up orders on the eight A380s for which it had signed letters of intent earlier this year, and placed firm orders for an additional three of the double-decker aircraft, bringing its total firm order for the A380s to 58.
The contract with Boeing is for 12 firm orders of the 777-300ERs, valued at $3.2 billion. With this new order, Emirates now has 57 Boeing 777s pending delivery and is set to become the world’s largest 777 operator in the next few years.
Sheikh Ahmed also inked agreements with Sir John Rose, chief executive of Rolls Royce for the Trent XWB engines to power Emirates’ new A350s; with Bruce Hughes, president of the Engine Alliance for the GP7200 to power its additional A380s; and with Scott Donnelly, president and CEO of GE Aviation for GE90 engines to power Emirates’ 777-300ERs.
Sheikh Ahmed said: “Emirates is committing close to $35 billion today for new aircraft. Our total order includes 93 aircraft on firm order and 50 on option. Once again, Emirates is making aviation history.”
Emirates’ total order book now stands at 246 aircraft, all wide body, and worth over $60 billion. This is a massive investment which reflects our confidence in the future of air transport, and our confidence in Dubai.”
In related developments, Qatar Airways announced an order for 30 firm and 30 option Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, together with confirmed orders for 27 Boeing 777s and an additional five options.
Details of the order were unveiled during a press conference attended by senior executives of both companies together with GE Aviation, which will supply engines for the aircraft.
Addressing the media yesterday, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al-Baker said: “We are proud to join the growing list of Boeing 787 customers. With deliveries from mid-2010 through to 2014, the 787 will form the core of Qatar Airways regional and medium-haul fleet from the next decade and its optimum size and outstanding fuel efficiency and economics will underpin the airline’s profitability and competitiveness as it builds its hub at Doha’s new international airport.”
Meanwhile, Riyadh based National Air Services (NAS) has made a $2 billion order for 20 Airbus A320s for its budget airline arm, nasair. NAS has also taken an option on buying a further 18 of the planes. Nasair is the first budget carrier in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and now flies to 21 domestic destinations.
“The agreement with Airbus is strategic for NAS services to grow. Our new Airbus A320 family fleet will equip us to fulfill passenger demand using the most reliable, efficient and comfortable aircraft on the market,” said Taher Agueel, president, NAS.
In related development, C-Jet Limited, the aviation company of a private individual based in Hong Kong, has placed a firm order for an Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ), becoming a new customer.
In a statement, Bombardier Aerospace announced that Dana Group of Lagos, Nigeria, has placed orders for a super light Learjet 45 XR aircraft and a new wide body Challenger 605 jet. The two aircraft are the launch orders for the Dana Group’s newest subsidiary, Dana Airlines Limited. The transaction is valued at approximately $39 million.
Dubai also revealed that it will establish the world’s largest maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) center. The center will be part of the AED5 billion Dubai World Central Aviation City, a strategically important aviation project launched within Dubai World Central (DWC).
Dubai Air Show, which features 850 exhibitors from 50 countries, will run through Thursday.