Translated material
Stop in Dubai
The Arab world is stocking up on planes
The ambitions of the Arab Emirate of Dubai , it seems, can become a powerful impetus for the financial and industrial well-being of the world's aircraft manufacturers - the European concern Airbus and the American Boeing. Yesterday, at the Dubai Air Show, both concerns entered into agreements to sell aircraft for a total amount of more than $82 billion, Reuters reports. The main customers are from the Middle East region, the largest of which is the state leasing company Dubai Aerospace Enterprise.Dubai, where one of the world's largest airports, designed to accommodate 120 million passengers a year, is currently being built, intends to use its advantageous geographical location to become a bridge between Europe, Asia and Africa. To this end, Dubai is also expanding its own aircraft fleet.
Yesterday, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise entered into preliminary agreements with Boeing and Airbus to purchase 100 aircraft from each concern. The total value of the transactions is estimated at more than $27 billion. The agreement with Boeing provides for the intention to buy 100 aircraft, including 70 Boeing 737 aircraft, five 747-8 aircraft and ten 777-300 aircraft. A similar agreement with Airbus involves the purchase of 70 A320 aircraft and 30 A350 XWB aircraft.
The day before, the buyer had already shown the seriousness of his intentions. On Sunday, Emirates airline made a large order from Airbus and Boeing - in total, the company agreed to purchase 93 aircraft worth $23.4 billion. In addition, Emirates wished to receive an option to purchase another 50 aircraft, taking into account the transaction amount to 34. $9 billion. Orders of varying volumes at the show in Dubai were placed by companies from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the UAE-based low-cost company Air Arabia.
The show in Dubai allowed Airbus to surpass last year's record in terms of orders for promising models. Since the beginning of the year, according to Airbus sales chief John Leahy, the concern has already received 1,122 orders and expects another 300 by the end of the year. During 2006, the European concern received orders for 1,111 aircraft.
Thus, Airbus, which had pretty much ruined its reputation as a result of failures during the launch of the Airbus A380 and the A400M military transport vehicle, is emerging from the production crisis. Just the other day, the head of the concern, Tom Enders, said that production at Airbus is gaining momentum. First of all, this concerns customers from the Persian Gulf countries: the planned deliveries of the first A380 Airbuses to Emirates Airlines will be carried out exactly on time as specified in the contract. "Middle Eastern customers account for 30% of Airbus' total forward order book," Mr. Enders said in Dubai.
Yesterday the name of the first private owner of the A380 superliner became known. It turned out to be not the Russian Roman Abramovich (there were rumors about this), but the Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdul Asis al-Saud. The prince, owner of EuroDisneyland, is a cousin of Saudi King Abdullah. As Airbus headquarters officially announced yesterday, this person will become “the first client of the VIP version.” The custom-made aircraft was called the “Flying Palace”. It will be able to accommodate 555 people, and its catalog price is $280 million.
The manufacturer does not provide details regarding the interior decoration of the airplane palace. However, apparently, the acquisition of an Airbus A380 for the Saudi prince was a matter of principle. The new plane has 50% more space for fantasy flights than the more modest Boeing 747-400 jumbo that sits in its private hangar. There will be bars, a sauna, a sports and fitness room, a salon-living room, an office-studio, and luxurious bedrooms.
However, even in the mass version of the A380 for Asian airlines, luxury has no limits. Thus, in the first class there are double beds, and from the personal toilet there will be a view of the endless expanses of the air ocean.