Arab nations snub Boeing in Paris

Dubai: Airbus SAS, the world's largest maker of commercial aircraft, won orders and commitments valued at US$32 billion from Arab customers at the 2007 Paris Air Show, as Middle Eastern carriers snubbed rival U.S. supplier Boeing Co.
Airbus got firm contracts from airlines or leasing companies based in Arab countries for aircraft valued at US$24.7 billion and commitments for planes with a value of US$7.3 billion at the show last week. Boeing's only Middle Eastern contract during the show was an agreement to advise Abu Dhabi and Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, on developing their aerospace industries.
Persian Gulf airlines including Etihad, Qatar Airways and Emirates have been among the top customers for Toulouse, France- based Airbus and Boeing as the region's governments set up hubs for tourism and transit flights between Europe, Asia and Africa.
A redesign of the planned 250- to 350-seat A350 model helped Airbus beat Chicago-based Boeing in orders at the Paris show.
Arab airlines are expected to increase their combined fleet by almost two-thirds to 900 aircraft by 2015 from 550 planes in 2006, according to the Arab Air Carriers Organization.
25/06/07 Massoud A. Derhally/Bloomberg/China Post, Taiwan

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Categories: Airshow Paris 2007, Foreign Jun 2007