by Tim Hepher and Alexander Cornwell
Middle Eastern airlines appear set to order tens of billions of dollars worth of long-haul planes when the Dubai Airshow opens on Monday, with Emirates renewing its confidence in the delayed Boeing 777X while facing the new competition from rivals like Turkish Airlines.
Hosts Emirates and its low-cost cousin flyDubai are set to make their mark on the world’s second-largest aerospace event, industry sources say, despite fears of a decline in the economically key travel sector due to tensions in the Middle East. East.
This will likely be an order for several dozen Boeing 777Xs, despite uncertainty over the timetable for the world’s largest twinjet, currently expected for 2025 after a five-year delay. Boeing said the schedule was intact.
The world’s largest user of wide-bodies, including the Airbus A380 superjumbos and current-generation Boeing 777s, has publicly said it is considering the upgraded 777X model, as well as the Airbus A350 and the smaller Boeing 787 for a new series of devices.
Of these, the 787 is the least likely to be used immediately.
FlyDubai uses Boeing 737 MAX narrow-body aircraft and is preparing to order more aircraft in this category, according to sources.
Emirates, Airbus and Boeing declined to comment.
Industry officials estimate that airlines around the world are negotiating behind the scenes to buy some 700 to 800 new planes, including 200 to 300 of the world’s largest planes, to make up for shelved fleet replacement plans. during the pandemic.
How many of these bear fruit in time for the November 13-17 show will depend on the state of negotiations and the fight for the limelight, with Gulf groups facing a circle of competition from wider and wider.
Turkish Airlines (THY) THYAO.IS burst onto the trade show agenda on Saturday with the announcement by state news agency Anadolu that it was in talks to buy up to 355 jets from Airbus AIR.PA .
Following further discussions, industry sources said the airline could announce at least part of the deal on Monday.
It said it was in talks for 600 planes in total, likely split between Airbus and Boeing.
A Middle East source called the prospect of a Turkish order a “bold move”, boosting competition at the presentation event.
However, according to other sources, it is premature to think that the new player in the region, the Saudi airline Riyadh Air, could place a large order for narrow-body jets from Dubai.
The airline, which suggested it would make a decision in the coming weeks, declined to comment.
Aviation powerhouse Dubai holds biennial aerospace competition amid Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, which is driving up demand for weapons and closing airspace, making flights longer and more expensive for some airlines.
Travel analytics company ForwardKeys said Friday that flight bookings have fallen not only in the Middle East, but also worldwide since October 7. Bookings to the Middle East fell 26%.