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| Boeing announced Qatar Airways has ordered 6 of its 777 aircraft - valued at $1.7 billion - Boeing Chairman and CEO Jim Albaugh. |
World famous jet makers Airbus and Boeing signed over 25 billion US dollars in orders to kick off the Paris Air Show on Monday, but the European jet maker's appearance suffered a setback when its star, superjumbo, clipped its wing.
It's not how Airbus wanted to start the world's biggest air show - on its home turf in Paris.
The right-hand wing-tip on this A380 superjumbo scraped a building after arrival at Le Bourget airport on Sunday - and it's been withdrawn from the air show's traditional flying displays.
In a further blow - Airbus' other flagship plane at the show - the A400m military transport - won't be flying either due to a gearbox problem.
While embarrassing, these problems are hardly likely to impact on the plane orders Europe's Airbus and its U.S. rival Boeing hope to receive at the Paris Air Show as steady recovery in the aviation industry translates to demand for new jets, especially fuel-efficient ones.
Boeing announced Qatar Airways has ordered 6 of its 777 aircraft - valued at $1.7 billion - Boeing Chairman and CEO Jim Albaugh.
Jim Albaugh, Boeing Chiarman & CEO, said, "If one looks at Asia Pacific I think about a third of airplanes that we project for the next twenty years will come from that region and about forty percent of those will be in China."
Airbus said it had won an order for 60 narrow-body A320neo planes worth $5.1 billion.
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| World famous jet makers Airbus and Boeing signed over 25 billion US dollars in orders to kick off the Paris Air Show on Monday. |
Analysts expect narrow body planes, flown by fast-growing budget airlines, to be a key battleground for Boeing and Airbus.
Henri Coupron, CEO of International Lease Finance Corp, buys from both plane makers, and says strong sales for Airbus's A320neo could put pressure on Boeing to decide if it will redesign or just re-engine its 737.
Henri Coupron, Int'l Lease Finance Corp., said, "If we are backed by the market this week and there's a strong performance from Airbus on the neo, I think Boeing will have to have a story, will have to tell its customers, its investors, ok, well we understand we got it from the marketplace, this is what we're going to do."
High oil prices are another worry.
The International Air Transport Association recently said it was affecting the profitability of aviation.
Some hope that will lead to innovation in the industry.
This Gulfstream G450 jet, operated by Honeywell arrived in Paris, having completed the first transatlantic flight using biofuel.
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