A flurry of orders for Airbus and Boeing signalled an optimistic start to the Farnborough International Airshow - and more are expected as the show enters its second day.
On Monday, deals worth more than $17 billion suggested the worst may be over for the airline industry. The first day of the air show was dominated by aircraft leasing companies who are returning to the market after the recession.
On Tuesday, Airbus is expected to make at least one order announcement, as is ATR, an EADS-Finmeccanica joint venture.
Airbus chief salesman John Leahy says his company and U.S. rival Boeing survived the recent downturn better than in the past because they anticipated a slump in orders and let their backlogs build up without increasing production.