The Paris Air Show, the first after a four-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, saw billions of dollars in orders for commercial aircraft and provided some support to suppliers as air travel bounced back strongly after the pandemic.
As the Paris Air Show ended on Sunday, airlines in the Middle East were not left empty-handed with orders for new planes, but they came in less than analysts expected.
At the biennial event in Le Bourget, north of the city, airlines, aircraft lessors and manufacturers gather to announce new aircraft orders and other strategic partnerships.
This year, the air show closed with 1,266 orders – the highest since the Farnborough Air Show in 2018, when the industry was strong before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Announced orders were close to record levels, but were largely dominated by India’s two carriers, IndiGo and Air India, the world’s fastest-growing market.
The Middle East is one of the fastest growing regions in the world in terms of air passenger traffic, due to its privileged geographic location as a hub for international flights and the ambitious economic expansion plans of various countries – many of which include their own tourism development. occupations.
But contrary to expectations, the airshow saw few orders from Middle Eastern airlines, particularly from the three biggest carriers in the Gulf, Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways. Based on orders from the Middle East, there was a new order for 30 A320neo aircraft from Saudi Arabia’s low-cost airline Flynas. Air Algeria also revealed an unannounced order for eight Boeing 737 Max 9 single-aisle aircraft.
Saudi Arabia’s new airline, Riyadh Air – owned by the kingdom’s influential Public Investment Fund – made its international debut on the first day of the airshow on June 19, when the carrier’s purple jet flew over Le Bourget airport. The company is not short of capital and has ambitious expansion plans as it aims to transport more than 100 million passengers to more than 100 destinations by the end of the decade.
There were rumors that the newcomer would place a large order for Airbus planes this year, but Riyadh Aviation CEO Tony Douglas said on Sunday his airline would not announce an order at Le Bourget. In March, the new carrier announced a tentative order for 72 Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Toulouse-based Airbus hopes to strike a deal with the ambitious new airline of the future.
The International Air Bureau’s (IBA) industry consultancy expects 2,100 orders at the airshow.
Dan Taylor, head of consulting at IBA, told Al-Monitor, “We expect more orders from the region as the current backlog is the lowest in 10 years. We expect the total fleet to grow at an average rate. 5% per annum for the next ten years. Also, the average age of the fleet has increased by 12 years, indicating that some fleet renewal is also due.
IBA’s Chief Economist Stuart Hatcher added, “I expected some action from Royal Air Maroc and a tightening of Saudi demands. I don’t expect anything from Emirates at this pointnGiven Boeing’s business rhetoric already, I expected at least a Saudi Arabian reinforcement.
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