AP is reporting that Airbus secured “huge” orders on the opening day of the Paris Air Show being held this week. According to the report “Airbus stole the spotlight from rival Boeing … announcing deals worth around $43 billion.”
The article also mentions that while Airbus may have won the first round of the air show competition, they have a long way to go to regain the lead in the “traditional transatlantic rivalry.” To date Boeing has received 584 orders for the 787 Dreamliner while Airbus has only received 105 orders for the A350 (including 92 orders yesterday — 80 from Qatar and 12 from Kuwait).
A more accurate tally will emerge at the Paris Air Show today as Boeing is predicted to announce additional Dreamliner sales during their press conference.
The world of commercial airline sales may seem far removed from the war in Iraq, but Boeing’s fate here can be viewed as a barometer for foreign sentiment toward the U.S. And you can bet that a high opportunity cost to Boeing in that regard will play itself out in political arenas, including the 2008 Presidential race.
We’ll keep you posted as the week goes on.
(Photo: A350 cockpit)
– Ward
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Aeroflot selecting Boeing…who would have figured 20 years ago.
New markets, new customers…seems like globalization is lifting all boats for this industry.
Do anarchists fly?
wonder how many of those turkey A380′s they sold?
think Airbus is shouting “A350′S SOLD!” to gloss over the lack of those awful superjumbos…
“Aeroflot selecting Boeing”…
I was at Narita airport in Japan this year and out on the tarmac was a 777 – from Vietnam Airlines! 35 years after Boeing B52s were dropping bombs on them, the Vietnamese are dropping $200mil to buy Boeing aircraft.
Note the joy sticks off to the sides. If I’m to grab a shaft in order to control jet that size, I’d prefer it be in the middle and with a lot more leverage.
The 787 has a between the legs yoke. The preferred control among pilots.
RTLM,
All of the newer airliners are fly-by-wire – there’s no direct mechanical connection to any control surface. Why on earth would leverage be important?
Comparing the number of 787s sold vs the number of A350s sold is like comparing the 2007 Camry to the 2012 Accord. One (787) is currently under production, the other (A350) is still in development.
A better question would be how many 787s were ordered back in 2004 vs the number of A350s currently under order.