Gulf carriers quiet at Dubai Airshow

Although this year's airshow saw an increase in exhibitors compared to the previous event in 2007, organisers say the total order tally is about $13bn, far below the $155.5bn worth of aircraft that were ordered two years ago.

Commenting on the comparatively low number of orders at this year's event, Airbus' chief executive Tom Enders said, 'we certainly did not come with the expectation of a miracle or the expectation that the numbers of 2007 would be matched'.

However, he remained upbeat about the industry in the region, saying there is no better place to have an airshow than in the Middle East, as it is the 'hub of aviation growth'.

Airbus also released a new forecast which revealed that over the next 20 years, Middle East airlines will require 1,418 new passenger aircraft, valued at $243bn, to satisfy the region's above world average demand.

Regional orders

However, hopes of surprise orders from some of the region's larger carriers such as Emirates and Etihad were left unfounded, due in part to the lingering effects of the economic crisis and the large number of aircraft already on their order books.

Amongst carriers in the region, Oman Air made the largest deal with an order for five E175 aircraft from Brazilian manufacturer Embraer worth $177m at list prices.

Low-cost carrier Flydubai announced two aircraft financing deals worth $160m, covering the first two aircraft that the airline received in May. The airline also announced that it is expanding its route network to Bahrain, marking the carrier's second destination in the GCC and tenth overall.

Abu Dhabi-based Ethihad Airways also made news by announcing a $750m investment in its workforce, fleet, and in-flight service, including a $200 million overhaul order with International Aero Engines and a contract with Panasonic to install state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment systems on board the carrier's new A330-300 fleet and new Boeing B777 aircraft.

On the military side, the UAE government helped boost the tally for the airshow by signing a $511m contract for 25 Swiss Pilatus PC-21 basic-training aircraft and a $223m deal for two Swedish Saab 340 early warning planes.

Other deals

However, unlike two years ago, small carriers outside the Gulf region were the biggest spenders at the airshow, with Airbus seeing the lion's share of orders. Ethiopian Airlines led the way, signing the largest deal at the event - a $3bn order with Airbus for 12 A350 XWB aircraft. The airline placed the order following delays in the delivery of 10 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

Nepal Airlines also signed a $250m deal to buy two Airbus aircraft, one A330-200 wide-body plane and one A320 single aisle jet, which will be deployed on international services to Japan and will for the first time connect Nepal to Europe with direct flights.

In one of the more interesting deals, Air Austral, the carrier based in the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion, confirmed a January order for two Airbus A380s worth $1bn. The carrier said it would configure the aircraft to fit 840 passengers in economy-only flights, the highest capacity for passengers on a commercial aircraft. The A380 normally carries about 500 people in a three-class configuration.

For its part, Boeing announced deals with Algerian carriers Air Algerie and Tassili Airlines totalling about $900m for the manufacturer's Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft. Air Algerie ordered seven, while Tassili ordered four.