Mon/18 Nov/5.00pm: After the frenzy of the first day’s epic deals, activity has quietened today. Tomorrow press conference have been booked, with three for Lockheed Martin Corporation, ten for Boeing and three for Airbus. In the meantime here is a recall of all the Dubai Airshow headlines from today:
West must loosen airport access or we may cancel jet orders – Sheikh Ahmed
Lufthansa, Emirates eye Dubai Airshow talks
New Libyan airline orders 7 jets at Dubai Airshow
Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala seals $5bn contracts with Airbus, Boeing
Brazil’s Embraer offers alternative to A380 and 777
Wing cracks hit A380 reputation, says EADS boss
VIPs in “early stages” to buy military helicopters
Flydubai sees burgeoning demand for budget travel
FlyDubai could move to Al Maktoum – Sheikh Ahmed
Gulf airlines splash out over $150bn at Dubai Airshow
Mon/18 Nov/4.55pm: Boeing is going to make a decision soon on where to build a new
version of its 777 passenger: “We
will be announcing within next 2-3 months very specifically plans for
manufacturing,” chairman and CEO Jim McNerney told reporters. “We
have a number of alternatives and we are in the process of considering
them.” Will it be in the MidEast as some have speculated?
With all the billion dollar deals announced yesterday, McNerney
dismissed concerns that the big orders could result in too
much capacity coming into the region as airlines compete for the same
business. “This
region is for real and we are just gratified that we could be part of it,”
he told Reuters. “From
time to time people wonder if the investment in infrastructure here is
sustainable and my observation is that it is. As I watch as an industry
participant, I see them opening routes and performing and filling planes.”
Mon/18 Nov/4.50pm: Beatrice Thomas just caught up with Philip Dunne, the UK’s Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, who was talking up the 150 British companies exhibiting at this year’s Dubai Airshow, telling reporters it was a reflection of the increasingly close relationships being formed by companies from each country involved in civil and military airspace. He said the major deals announcements at the show provided opportunities for UAE-based companies to get into the supply chains of the major manufacturers, as seen by today’s Mubadala deals. “I think this is a trend that is only going to continue,” he said. In regards to the potential Eurofighter Typhoon UAE deal, Dunne said Eurofighter was part of a competition for the contract that it was actively engaged in winning. If it did it would be extremely positive for military relations between the countries, as well as create 1000s of jobs, he said.
Mon/18 Nov/4.45pm: After ordering 150 Boeing 777s and 50 more Airbus A380s, Dubai’s Emirates is going to need some new staff and it unveiled some details of the new Emirates Flight Academy (EFA), which will be based at Dubai World Central and will be completed in 2015. EFA will have its own 1.5km runway, control tower, airport code and a fleet of training aircraft and the 140-hectare site will employ over 150 staff and have around 160 graduates per year.
Mon/18 Nov/4.00pm: Qatar Airways’ executive wing, Qatar Executive, is one of the many carriers showcasing their latest offerings at the Dubai Airshow. It’s latest aircraft acquisition, a Bombardier Global 5000 jet, can accommodate up to 13 guests with flight durations of up to 11 hours. It comes equipped with sleeping arrangements that allow six people to sleep comfortably on the divan bed and seats that convert into fully flat beds. Click here to see the inside of the new jet.
Mon/18 Nov/3.00pm: Beatrice Thomas has just spoken to Royal Brunei deputy chairman Dermot Mannion aboard one of its 787 Dreamliner aircraft and the former Aer Lingus CEO was singing the praises of the Boeing aircraft, which he said will be used on its long haul flights from Brunei-Dubai-London from December 2 and its Melbourne- Brunei-Dubai route from April 1. He held the presser from the plane.
Mon/18 Nov/2.30pm: The US military says foreign sales of the V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft built by Boeing and Bell Helicopter could grow significantly in the “very near future” but top US military officials said its not just air forces which are interested. “We see a great opportunity in this region not only from a military FMS (foreign military sales) perspective, but also to be used in the VIP or executive role,” Marine Corps Colonel Dan Robinson told Reuters, adding they were in “early stages” of talks with some unnamed VIPS, but admitted US officials have provided briefings on the V-22 to the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. See full details here.
Mon/18 Nov/1.30pm: Beatrice Thomas spoke to Brazilian jet manufacturer Embraer and it sees demand for its smaller jets in the MIddle East and claims it can offer an alternative to the superjumbos such as the A380 and 777. “Not all routes can be flown with A380 here in the Middle East, not all routes can be flown with A320 and the 737 and there is really a strong role to play for this 100-seater capacity,” said Mathieu Duquesnoy, vice-president for the Middle East and Africa. Click here for the full details.
Mon/18 Nov/1.20pm Deal Confirmation: Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala has signed $5bn worth of deals with Boeing and Airbus to expand its aero parts production business. The agreements were negotiated during talks with Abu Dhabi airline Etihad, which yesterday announced orders for 82 Boeing jets and 76 Airbus planes. The parts will be made at Mubadala’s Strata Manufacturing facility in Al Ain.
Mon/18 Nov/12.40pm: Are Emirates and Lufthansa going to push ahead with a possible alliance? It seems talks are expected on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow so keep your eyes peeled.
Mon/18 Nov/12.20pm Breaking News: The Tripoli-based, full-service carrier will start operations at the beginning of next year. In preparation it has placed an order from Airbus for three A350-900s and four A320neos in an $800m deal. Libyan Wings spokesperson Haret Alfasi also said that Tripoli’s new airport will be completed by 2018 and will have a capacity for 20m passengers. It will fly to Turkey and also has its eyes on Europe. Find out the full details here.
Mon/18 Nov/12.10pm Breaking News: Beatrice Thomas is at the Airbus press conference and it seems the Middle East’s latest carrier will be called Libyan Wings. More details to follow.
Mon/18 Nov/11.30am Deal Confirmation: Beatrice Thomas is at the Bombardier press conference and the Canadian planemaker has confirmed it has signed a $69m deal with Ivory Coast national carrier Air Côte d’Ivoire for 2 Q400 NextGen aircraft with options for an extra 2. The deal is worth $141m including options and deliveries are due to start in August/September 2014. Air Côte d’Ivoire CEO Rene Decurey said this is the start of the airline’s plans to rebuild its network after a decade of economic crises and is looking to focus on the west Africa region for expansion.
Mon/18 Nov/11.10am: The UAE has still not picked a supplier for its next fighter jets, a $9.6bn deal closely contested by French firm Dassault’s Rafale jets and the the UK’s BAE Systems-backed Eurofighter Typhoon, despite a visit by British Prime Minister David Cameron to the event yesterday, a source told Reuters.
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Mon/18 Nov/11.00am Deal Alert: Airbus has called a press conference for noon and it is expected to announce a deal with a new airline. Has it been able to snatch a customer from American rival Boeing? The French planemaker has already been critical of Boeing’s economy seats, dismissing them as “substandard”.
Mon/18 Nov/10.30am: Sheikh Ahmed also hinted that Dubai low cost carrier may be moving to Al Maktoum International in order for it and its larger sister Emirates to push ahead with their expansion plans. “We need one airline strong at every airport and in Dubai we’ve got two, so I think you’ll see one is based here and one is based there,” Sheikh Ahmed said referring to the emirate’s two airports. “We will always try to keep Emirates at one airport but if we never roll it out [the Al Maktoum expansion] maybe you’ll see us operating out of both airports in the future,” he added.
Mon/18 Nov/10.00am: Kicking off day two, it seems some of the big orders announced yesterday may not come to fruition if western governments do not loosen up their airport landing rights so Gulf airlines can utilise the jets they have signed up for. Chief Reporter Courtney Trenwith recounts Emirates chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum’s views on how these two issues are linked. The Dubai aviation chief warned if movement is not made to loosen airport access “then they can take the aircraft back”.
Check out what he had to say here.
Mon/18 Nov/09.00am: Sunday saw $162.6bn worth of deals signed by the major planemakers and carriers in the region. While many journalists and visitors at the show yesterday complained about facilities in the press room and outlets running out of chocolate bars due to a lack of food options, we are on the way back for the second day of deals, interviews with big name CEOs and all the gossip on the ground.
Click here to check out all the dramas and highlights from Sunday. As we board the bus, check out some of the headlines for the first day of the show:
Etihad to rebrand Swiss carrier as Etihad Regional after taking 33.3% stake
Dubai’s Emirates orders 50 more A380 superjumbos
Boeing launches new 777 jet with 259 Gulf orders from Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad
Abu Dhabi’s Etihad to order 82 Boeing jets worth $25.2bn
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