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Qatar Airways relents on Airbus deal
Source: Agencies |
November 16, 2011, Wednesday
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QATAR Airways finally returned to the table to sign a US$6.5-billion deal with Airbus hours after cancelling an announcement at the last minute and bluntly telling the European planemaker to go back to basics.
Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker made a second appearance to announce the firm order for five A380 superjumbos and 50 A320neo jets, plus options, hours after announcing an "impasse" in negotiations.
"Price was not at all an issue," al-Baker said of the impasse. "The issue was with the A320 aircraft. Since then, they have gone back to the drawing board and quickly fixed their issues."
The earlier upset threw chaos into Airbus's efforts to recover after being left standing at the Middle East's largest airshow in Dubai when Boeing walked off with a record US$18 billion order from Emirates on Sunday.
Al-Baker, who is known for springing surprises, compounded the European jetmaker's embarrassment by announcing the break-off at a news conference to buy two Boeing 777 freighters.
He said Airbus was "still learning how to make airplanes" in what observers at the airshow read as a signal of further disappointment over delays and hesitation over the design of the future carbon-fiber A350, a family of planes designed to compete with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Boeing 777.
Earlier reports had said that Qatar Airways was expected to place an order worth US$6.5 billion.
Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker made a second appearance to announce the firm order for five A380 superjumbos and 50 A320neo jets, plus options, hours after announcing an "impasse" in negotiations.
"Price was not at all an issue," al-Baker said of the impasse. "The issue was with the A320 aircraft. Since then, they have gone back to the drawing board and quickly fixed their issues."
The earlier upset threw chaos into Airbus's efforts to recover after being left standing at the Middle East's largest airshow in Dubai when Boeing walked off with a record US$18 billion order from Emirates on Sunday.
Al-Baker, who is known for springing surprises, compounded the European jetmaker's embarrassment by announcing the break-off at a news conference to buy two Boeing 777 freighters.
He said Airbus was "still learning how to make airplanes" in what observers at the airshow read as a signal of further disappointment over delays and hesitation over the design of the future carbon-fiber A350, a family of planes designed to compete with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Boeing 777.
Earlier reports had said that Qatar Airways was expected to place an order worth US$6.5 billion.
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