The Dubai Air Show opened on Sunday, and in the first big-ticket development for the day, Emirates announced the purchase of Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner aircraft worth some $15.1 billion, even as the prospect of the airline also buying some 20 Airbus A380 superjumbos was clearly in the air.
The Boeing 787-10 as well as the Airbus A380 are on display at the show prominently.
Asked about a possible Airbus A380 deal at an interaction at the airline’s swanky chalet at the show venue, Emirates chairman Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said, “We were comparing two apples,” and added that Emirates found the Boeing 787 to be a good option. The Boeing deliveries will begin in 2022.
Qatar Airways was conspicuously absent at the biennial event, indicating regional tensions. Through the air show, Dubai is seeking to push its long-held ambition of developing itself as a global aviation hub, as part of preparations for a post-oil boom scenario.
Already the busiest international air traffic hub, Dubai is planning to spend at least $36 billion to build a facility in a 50-square mile logistics and transport zone south of the city. The current air show site is part of this area.
Emirates on Sunday also unveiled first-class private suites, measuring some 40 sq ft, in an industry first. The passenger suites in the middle aisle will come in its Boeing 777 flights.
Covering virtually the full spectrum of the industry, the air show this time has a number of new features complementing the usual show formats, including an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) summit, a space pavilion, and a cargo logistics zone.
Vast display
The static display features over 160 commercial, business and military aircraft from around the world. New for this year are the Sukhoi Superjet 100 and the Japanese Air Force’s Kawasaki C 2.
FlyDubai, the value-for-money offshoot of the Emirates, is showing its Boeing 737 MAX 8 too. The Dubai-based airline has ordered 76 aircraft of the kind, and is set to launch limited services with MAX 8 by November-end.
In an air display, military and commercial aircraft roared across the skies for a couple of hours in the afternoon, under a blazing sun, watched by a throng of craning necks.
Started in 1986, the biennial air show has emerged as the third most important event of its kind, after Farnborough and Paris. This year the event will run till November 16.
Brahmos Aerospace and Falcon Aviation marked a prominent presence in an otherwise thin Indian participation. Pavilions featuring products or services from both China and Pakistan were prominent.
( The author is attending the Dubai Air Show on an
invitation of FlyDubai)
