Airbus in discussions on wide-body jet orders

Airbus is in negotiations with governments and private customers from the Middle East, its largest market globally for corporate jets, for potential orders of its ACJ350 business jets.

The European plane maker, based in France, expects to receive a decision about the potential orders for its widebody corporate jet by next year, Benoit Defforge, president of Airbus Corporate Jets, told The National yesterday.

“We have several discussions ongoing in the time being, both on the private side and the government side for the Middle East,” Mr Defforge said in Dubai.

“It’s new technology compared to the [Boeing] 777, which is an old-fashioned aircraft, so the A350 is the most modern twin-aisle aircraft in the market and will be a big success in the Airbus Corporate Jets side.”

The Middle East is home to about 60 of the 190 Airbus corporate jets currently in service worldwide.

These 60 jets comprise about 40 ACJ320 family aircraft and around 20 widebodies. The region, home to the world’s largest commercial wide-body fleet operated by Emirates, is a key market for Airbus ACJ350s and ACJ330neos widebody corporate jets.

The cycle of demand for corporate jets is currently in an “intermediate” stage but Airbus is “positive” in its outlook for this segment next year, Mr Defforge said.

A growing number of ultra-wealthy individuals and a rise in the number of private and government entities requiring private jets for business trips is putting a shine on the outlook, he said. However, he also cautioned that this depends on external factors such as geopolitics or the health of the global economy.

Airbus expects to deliver seven corporate jets to customers next year compared to three planes in 2018, Mr Defforge said, declining to reveal the types of customers or geographies.

Mr Defforge was speaking in Dubai ahead of the Middle East business aviation show held in the emirate from today until Wednesday.