The first day of the Dubai Airshow proved to be historic for the aerospace industry with the first aircraft order totaling $26 billion. Amirah Ibrahim reports The 12th edition of the Dubai Airshow kicked off on Sunday with a record $18-billion order for 50 Boeing 777s made by the national airline Emirates, giving the US company a flying start on its European rival Airbus at the prestigious event. The Dubai Airshow was officially opened by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE, and ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain. Egypt contributed to the event with a pavilion EgyptAir, Airprotw, air navigation and technical industries. Aviation Minister Lotfi Kamal headed a high delegation included top aids and civil aviation officials to the Dubai Airshow. Boeing's European rival Airbus received a new order from Qatar Airways which will keep the manufacturer in competing with Boeing. But the Dubai-based Emirates ensured the biennial aviation gathering kicked off with fanfare, announcing the order for 50 Boeing 777-300ERs in a deal that brings the long-haul carrier's order list to 90. The airline is the largest single operator of the twin-engined 777 planes with 95 units in service. Last year, Emirates placed an order for 30 Boeing 777 planes worth $9.1 billion at Britain's Farnborough show. In addition to its orders from Boeing, Emirates has 73 Airbus A380 superjumbos on order, as well as 70 Airbus A350s. The new order alone dwarfs the value of orders announced at the last edition of the show in 2009, which stood at just over $14 billion, when the global financial crisis hit the aviation industry. Manufacturers had chalked up orders for aircraft worth a whopping $155.5 billion at the 2007 edition. In other commercial aviation deals, Kuwait-based Alafco Aviation lease and finance company is expected to confirm an earlier order for 30 units of Airbus A320neo. The United Arab Emirates meanwhile appeared to raise the stakes in its negotiations with France to buy Rafale fighter jets after Eurofighter said the Gulf state has invited it to make a counter offer. The Gulf state which is in the final stages of talks with France on the sale of the Rafale fighter jet asked Britain, which uses the Eurofighter, to provide it with information about the aircraft capacity, and that a briefing took place on 17 October, according to a statement by the consortium. "We have subsequently received a request for proposal for the potential supply of Typhoon," Eurofighter said of its fighter jet in a statement, adding, "We are now working hard to deliver a response." French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet said last month that Paris was in the final stages of negotiations on the Gulf state purchasing Rafale fighter jets, the pride of France's Dassault Aviation. Speaking to journalists at the Dubai show Sunday, Longuet appeared unfazed by the UAE's approach to Eurofighter, saying the move seemed to be "a measure to liven up the process" of negotiations.He said he was confident the deal to buy 60 Rafale jets would be concluded before the end of 2011. He added the UAE side no longer required more powerful engines for the aircraft, adding that the Emiratis have seen through usage, that the 7.5-ton engines did not fail the jet in its missions of reconnaissance, combat, and ground support. Abu Dhabi had asked for an improved version fitted with amore powerful engines from Snecma of the Safran group with a thrust of nine tons, as well as a higher performing radar system from Thales. Financing of these improvements "is one of the issues under discussion", a top Dassault Aviation official said in February. Both the Rafale and the Typhoon were recently involved in combat action over Libya, flown respectively by the French air force and navy and the British Royal Air Force. Closing today 17 November 2011 at the Airport Expo, the show has been decked out in the UAE national flag colours to celebrate the nation's 40th anniversary in two weeks' time on 2 December.
