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Long-haul carrier Emirates has purchased 40 American-made Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners at the start of the biennial Dubai Air Show, a $US15.1 billion ($19.7 billion) deal certain to please US President Donald Trump who has touted the plane's sales as a job creator in America.
Key points:
- Emirates says maintenance among reasons it chose Dreamliner ahead of Airbus
- Deal appeared to catch Airbus off guard
- Donald Trump has previously described Dreamliner as "an amazing piece of art"
The deal appeared to surprise Boeing's archrival Airbus, whose staff had attended a long-delayed news conference and left the room just moments before the announcement.
Airbus has pinned hopes of continuing production of its double-decker jumbo jet on Emirates, the world's largest operator of the aircraft which took delivery of its 100th A380 earlier this month.
Reports circulated before the air show that a major A380 sale would be coming.
But instead, Emirates CEO and chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum explained how the airline considered the Airbus A350 and decided to pick the Boeing 787-10.
"We were comparing the two apples," he said, but found that the Boeing 787 is "the best option" for Emirates "given its maintenance and so on".
It is the second time Airbus has lost out on selling the A350 to Emirates.
In June 2014, the state-owned Emirates cancelled an order for 70 A350s after a "fleet requirement" review.
The Boeing 787-10 typically lists for $US312.8 million ($408 million). Delivery will begin in 2022.
Chicago-based Boeing already has 171 787-10s on order. Among those waiting for the aircraft are Abu Dhabi-based Etihad.
The twin-engine 787-10, however, has been a focus of Mr Trump since he came into office.
Emirates CEO echoes Trump mantra
In February, Mr Trump visited the Boeing plant in North Charleston, South Carolina, which manufactures the carbon-fibre, 330-seat plane he described as "an amazing piece of art".
"As your President I'm going to do everything I can to unleash the power of the American spirit and to put our great people back to work," Mr Trump said at the time.
"This is our mantra: Buy American and hire American."
Sheikh Ahmed made a point to say the deal will help create more jobs, echoing Mr Trump's mantra.
The deal was signed in the presence of Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who also serves as the United Arab Emirates' Prime Minister and Vice-President.
"The order will take Emirates' total [number of] wide body aircraft of the Boeing to 204 aircrafts, units worth over $US90 billion ($117 billion)," Sheikh Ahmed said.
"This is a long-term commitment that supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, not only at Boeing but also throughout the aviation supply chain."
Missing from the trade show this year is one of the region's largest long-haul carriers, Qatar Airways, amid a diplomatic fallout between Qatar and four Arab nations.
Qatar Airways previously had played a big role in the Dubai Air Show, reserving a large pavilion and displaying its latest aircraft to visitors.
AP
Topics: air-transport, business-economics-and-finance, united-arab-emirates, united-states
First posted