The Farnborough International Airshow kicked off today with Boeing and Airbus hopeful of securing big orders for their planes in the face of rising competition.
The Farnborough International Airshow is one of aviation’s biggest trade shows and is renowned for being an arena for major deal announcements and this year’s event is set to follow suit as airlines in Asia and the Middle East seek to meet growing travel demands.
Dubai’s Emirates Airline has announced that it is ordering more than 30 Boeing long-range 777 jets, just a month after they placed an order for 32 A380 superjumbo jetliners from Airbus in a record deal.
Boeing has hung its future on its mid-sized 787 Dreamliner, a fuel-efficient jet which will be on display in Farnborough after making its first flight outside of the United States on Sunday.
The plane, which can fly long distances and seat up to 330 passengers, has been beset by production delays. Boeing hoped to deliver the first Dreamliner to launch client All Nippon Airways no later than January.
Airbus is working on a new long-haul plane of its own, the A350 XWB (Extra Wide Body). Another big project for Airbus is its long-delayed A400M military transport plane, which is set to make a flypast at Farnborough.