Planemakers grab deals at Dubai Airshow

Global aerospace firms have secured tentative or firm orders for more than 400 airplanes at the Dubai Airshow, building on signs of a recovery from a global pandemic that has shattered the industry’s profits. After major orders for narrowbody jets and a new freighter earlier this week, Airbus secured a tentative deal for up to 30 A320neo narrowbody jets from Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways, while Boeing ended a recent dearth of orders in India. Most of the planes ordered were narrowbody models in highest demand from low-cost carriers like Europe’s Wizz Air and Boeing’s latest customer, Indian startup Akasa. “I believe this is a sign of recovery. The second half of the decade when most of these aircraft will be delivered is a long time from now, so it is reasonable to expect that at that point traffic will exceed pre-COVID levels,” said independent aviation adviser Bertrand Grabowski. “It is also reasonable to expect that those who emerge from the crisis with lower costs and higher efficiency will win,” he added. A major question marks hangs over Asia, previously the engine of new jetliner demand, executives said, while some fretted over the concentration of orders among a few carriers. Airlines and suppliers nonetheless seized on signs of a fragile recovery, using the deadline of air show publicity to try to win last-minute concessions. <br/>