dubai airshow sales record soars over us $76 billion worth of contracts puts mid east in new aviation league
The Dubai Airshow – now the world’s third largest aerospace exhibition – has once again raised the benchmark in B2B delivery with a staggering US $76 billion worth of sales and commitments announced in the first two days of the event, which runs at the Airport Expo Dubai, United Arab Emirates until Thursday night.
Day Two sent the show’s record sales tally soaring when Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) signed a US $13.5 billion letter of intent with Airbus for up to 100 aircraft, which included the an associated deal with Rolls-Royce for Trent XWB engines to power the A350 XWBs.
The aircraft will be owned by the group’s aircraft leasing and financing business, DAE Capital. Within hours DAE capital went on to sign a letter of intent for 100 aircraft, worth approximately US $13.7 billion with Boeing, for 70 Boeing 737 next generation aircraft and 30 widebody planes with the price incorporating a deal with General Electric for engines to power the aircraft. Then Boeing went on to win an order, worth around US $972 million, for six additional 787-8 Dreamliners from Dubai-based LCAL, an aircraft leasing company.
The order intake though went well beyond the two major airframe rivals. Ferrari’s Formula One driver Felipe Massa also helped fast-track business when he ordered a P180 Avanti II advanced twin-engined Italian executive aircraft – billed as the world’s fastest turboprop. Felipe signed the contract with Piaggio Aero at the chalet of Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Development Company, which owns 35% of Piaggio Aero and has a 5% interest in Ferrari S.p.A.
“We were expecting great things but this has gone well beyond our expectations,” said Virginia Kern, Chairman, Fairs & Exhibitions (F&E), which organises the Dubai Airshow in conjunction with the Department Civil Aviation Authority, Government of Dubai and in collaboration with the UAE Armed Forces. “There can really now be no doubt that the Middle East is the place to be if anyone’s serious about the aviation industry.”
Dubai Airshow 2007, which is open to industry-linked visitors only, is the tenth in the biennial series – and the biggest to date with 850 exhibitors from 50 countries and more than 140 aircraft on display.
This year’s event is the final Dubai Airshow to be held at Airport Expo Dubai before the exhibition moves in 2009 to a purpose-built site at Dubai World Central – the huge urban aviation community being built at Jebel Ali, a 30 minutes’ drive south of Dubai city.
“Aside from the major order book disclosed on site, the new Dubai World Central showground is the talk of the show,” said Alison Weller, Director-Aerospace, F&E. “It will enable considerable expansion of a show which has now undoubtedly attained truly global status.”
