Show report: Dubai Airshow 2017
They left the surly bonds of earth…and touched the face of god.
Aviation’s faithful came to Dubai 2017, its 15th aero exhibition and armed with their cheque books wrote up record deals worth $113.8 billion. The event, which is held once every two years in Dubai, logged an all-time record high of $206.1 billion in its 13th round held in 2013, whereas the second record high was achieved in 2007 at $155.5 billion, according to data compiled by financial consultants Mubasher.
2017 event marks a 175 per cent surge in the value of deals signed compared to the previous round held in 2015, which saw only $39.8 billion in agreements.
The first two days belonged to Boeing and it looked all but over for Airbus. Even their chalet was relatively silent and gloomy as the American manufacturer reeled in the orders. Emirates, as host carrier, set the pace by ticking the box for 40 Dreamliners and this 78710 investment worth $15.1 billion will replace the Triple seven fleet as Emirates increases its frequency on the under 10 hour routes. Any misgivings over the ability of the Dreamliner to perform at max levels in the heat of the desert were set aside and the A350 which still has residual affection and a better range and cost per passenger aggregate fell by the wayside.
As Airbus saw no more than the shadow of a smile on opening day there came the double whammy with flydubai, now a registered adjunct of Emirates, picking up a $27-billion deal to purchase 225 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, with options to buy 50 additional aircraft.
Airbus could by then have packed its bags and skulked off but wait, there was a major trick left in the bag and souring the bubbly at Boeing was on the cards. Hours later even as media and the aviation industry was empathising over the mauling Airbus was getting came the mega announcement. It was the biggest deal in history and Indigo US was making it. Airbus gently and yet with a dash of soigné announced the securing of an order valued at nearly $50 billion for 430 planes from its single-aisle A320neo line. Suddenly the dimmed lights at Airbus went bright and life was good again.