(Dubai) Multiplication of orders on one side, discretion on the other: the first major air show since the pandemic, which ended Thursday in Dubai, presented a striking contrast between Airbus and Boeing on time the way out of the crisis.
As with every international high mass in the sector, much of the attention has been focused on the two main aircraft manufacturers who are competing for announcements of orders.
In Dubai, the match did not take place.
With 408 orders and order intentions – more than at the 2019 Paris Air Show – Airbus appeared to have stepped over the COVID-19 crisis, when Boeing only posted 78 orders for the construction of new aircraft.
The European aircraft manufacturer in particular hit hard from day one with a firm order for 255 A321 single-aisle aircraft, an aircraft whose range and passenger capacity offer flexibility that is increasingly appealing to airlines.
“The outlook is starting to brighten up, […] airlines are also starting to look at the horizon and prepare for a post-crisis situation, ”said Airbus boss Guillaume Faury, present in Dubai.
If global air traffic is only half of its 2019 level and should not recover until between 2023 and 2025, the demand for new aircraft should explode in the next 20 years according to aircraft manufacturers.
Airbus is counting on a need for 39,000 aircraft, Boeing for more than 43,000, to cope with the increase in traffic and acquire aircraft that consume less and therefore emit less CO2.
Airlines, even if they have been financially bled by the collapse of their activity, are therefore seeking to secure the precious slots for aircraft deliveries.
“Hard on himself”
The American aircraft manufacturer – whose boss David Calhoun did not visit Dubai – was discreet during the show, announcing in particular its main order – 72 single-aisle 737 MAX for the young Indian company Akasa Air – by single communicated.
But he has at every opportunity tried to hammer home that Boeing was “hard on himself” to remedy the multiple crises it has faced in recent years.
The crashes of the 737 MAX, the production problems of the 787 and the delays in the certification of its future widebody 777X have made the Seattle giant falter.
“Safety and quality will be the guidelines for everything we do,” insisted in front of journalist Ihssane Mounir, commercial director of Boeing.
The aircraft manufacturer therefore exhibited at the show one of its four 777X tests, which was the first to appear abroad.
A deployment in the stronghold of the Emirates company not without commercial ulterior motives, the company alone representing a third of the 777X orders already placed.
Boeing, however, did not announce the launch of the development of a cargo version of the aircraft, hoped for in Dubai, indicating that it would take place “soon”.
More generally, air freight transport was in the spotlight thanks to the boom in global air freight, which in September exceeded its pre-crisis level by 9%.
Airbus has announced the first order intentions (7) for its A350F, the future cargo version of its long-haul, and Boeing has secured a few orders for its 777 and 767 freighter. The American aircraft manufacturer has also gleaned a few contracts to convert older generation passenger planes into freight transport.
The European aircraft manufacturer was also successful for military orders (2 A330 MRTT tanker planes for the Emirates and 2 A400M transport planes for Indonesia).
The other aircraft manufacturers were also able to count on contracts.
Brazilian Embraer, which specializes in planes with less than 100 seats, has sold three Embraer 175s to a company in Nigeria while regional aircraft manufacturer ATR has won several orders, totaling 29 for its ATR-72 and ATR- turboprop engines. 42 since the beginning of the year.