Airbus upbeat ahead of show
Source: Agencies |
June 20, 2011, Monday
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AIRBUS is striking a positive pose ahead of the aviation industry's premier event in France, promising to sign billions in new aircraft orders despite the rapidly deteriorating international air transport market.
The head of Airbus parent company EADS NV Louis Gallois said Europe's rival to Boeing Co is "stronger than before the crisis and has every reason to be optimistic."
Gallois' comments came ahead of the start of the Paris Air Show today. Airbus' top salesman John Leahy said he'd spent three of the last five nights sleeping on airplanes, "so you know we're still negotiating orders."
The Toulouse, France-based manufacturer's optimism clashed with a forecast earlier this month by the International Air Transport Association, which warned natural disasters in Japan, unrest in the Middle East and rising fuel prices would cause airline industry profits to collapse only a year after they'd begun to recover from the global economic crisis.
More than 2,100 exhibitors from 45 countries and regions have signed up to take part in the weeklong event, showcasing both commercial and defense aircraft. Airbus expects to bag bountiful orders for a new more fuel efficient version of its workhorse A320 short-haul jet, while Boeing is spotlighting its new mid-range 787 Dreamliner and 747-8 Intercontinental passenger jets.
Gallois said the air show "will confirm the success of the A320neo," a revamped version of the standard A320 re-engineered to be 15 percent more fuel efficient. Airbus has booked more than 330 orders and commitments for the A320neo since its commercial launch in December.
Airlines squeezed by higher fuel prices are rushing to order the jet, which isn't scheduled to come into service until late 2015. Boeing hasn't yet chosen how it will respond.
The search for a more environmentally friendly way to fly is shaping up as one of the major themes of this year's Paris Air Show.
Boeing and Honeywell are both boasting of having the first biofuel-powered trans-Atlantic flight, with Boeing flying in its 747-8 freighter from Seattle on a mix of biofuel and jet fuel. Honeywell is touting the "green jet fuel" it developed to power a Gulfstream business jet on its way from New Jersey to Le Bourget.
Skyrocketing fuel costs are a major issue for Airbus and Boeing customers, who will see their profits plunge to US$4 billion this year from US$18 billion in 2010, an IATA forecast said earlier this month.
The head of Airbus parent company EADS NV Louis Gallois said Europe's rival to Boeing Co is "stronger than before the crisis and has every reason to be optimistic."
Gallois' comments came ahead of the start of the Paris Air Show today. Airbus' top salesman John Leahy said he'd spent three of the last five nights sleeping on airplanes, "so you know we're still negotiating orders."
The Toulouse, France-based manufacturer's optimism clashed with a forecast earlier this month by the International Air Transport Association, which warned natural disasters in Japan, unrest in the Middle East and rising fuel prices would cause airline industry profits to collapse only a year after they'd begun to recover from the global economic crisis.
More than 2,100 exhibitors from 45 countries and regions have signed up to take part in the weeklong event, showcasing both commercial and defense aircraft. Airbus expects to bag bountiful orders for a new more fuel efficient version of its workhorse A320 short-haul jet, while Boeing is spotlighting its new mid-range 787 Dreamliner and 747-8 Intercontinental passenger jets.
Gallois said the air show "will confirm the success of the A320neo," a revamped version of the standard A320 re-engineered to be 15 percent more fuel efficient. Airbus has booked more than 330 orders and commitments for the A320neo since its commercial launch in December.
Airlines squeezed by higher fuel prices are rushing to order the jet, which isn't scheduled to come into service until late 2015. Boeing hasn't yet chosen how it will respond.
The search for a more environmentally friendly way to fly is shaping up as one of the major themes of this year's Paris Air Show.
Boeing and Honeywell are both boasting of having the first biofuel-powered trans-Atlantic flight, with Boeing flying in its 747-8 freighter from Seattle on a mix of biofuel and jet fuel. Honeywell is touting the "green jet fuel" it developed to power a Gulfstream business jet on its way from New Jersey to Le Bourget.
Skyrocketing fuel costs are a major issue for Airbus and Boeing customers, who will see their profits plunge to US$4 billion this year from US$18 billion in 2010, an IATA forecast said earlier this month.
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