Between November 14th and 18th, the first major airshow in two years happened in Dubai and it was great to see people gathered in an expo showcasing the best in aviation after being off last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It shows that the future of aviation is looking bright and I hope there will be more events like this in the future. After the airshow, there have been a few developments that will eventually dictate the market as we start to transition out of the pandemic. So with that said, here are my top 5 biggest takeaways from Dubai.
The Demand in Cargo
As international travel is the slowest sector in the market to fully recover from the pandemic, the airshow showcased the importance of air cargo. Airbus launched a freighter variant of the A350 known as the A350F for the lessor Air Lease Corp (ALC). In addition, Emirates ordered two more 777Fs to go along with the ten that they already have. DHL even joined the fray by ordering 9 former Boeing 767-300s that would be converted to the 767-300BCF (Boeing Converted Freighter) as well as 11 737-800BCFs for Icelease. This also coincides with Boeing announcing that they will create new facilities in London Gatwick as well as Kelowna, Canada that will focus on converting old Boeing 767s and 777s into freighters. The big takeaway from this is that as older Boeing jets are starting to get phased out for newer ones, air cargo carriers are seizing the opportunity to buy older aircraft and have them converted for air cargo to keep them flying. And given the recent issues with the global supply chains, air cargo is one of the hottest markets to be in.
Airbus Dominates Boeing
At the Dubai Airshow, Airbus clocked over 400 orders whereas Boeing only received 100. As well as the aforementioned A350F freighters, Airbus received 255 orders of the A321 series from lessor Indigo Partners. Moreover to go along with the 7 A350Fs, ALC also ordered 25 A220-300s, 55 A321neos, 20 A321XLRs and 4 A330neos. Lastly, Jazerra Airways and Nigeria’s Ibom Air rounded off Airbus’s dominance by ordering 28 Airbus A321neos and 10 A220s respectively. Boeing on the other hand had one big order and that was for 72 Boeing 737 Max for Indian startup airline Akasa Air. In addition, Air Tanzania ordered a Dreamliner, a 767-300 freighter and two 737 MAX. This goes to show that Airbus has the upper hand in their duopoly with Boeing due most in part to their success in the narrowbody sector with their A220s and A321 series of aircraft. However it wasn’t all doom and gloom for Boeing.
The Worldwide Debut of the 777X
The Dubai Airshow marked the first time that the 777X was shown off to the public to demonstrate its capabilities. And the plane delivered on the spectacle for everyone around the world to see. Visitors were able to take a tour of the cockpit as well as check out what testing equipment is on the plane. But when it comes to new orders the 777X didn’t get any new orders but that didn’t mean it wasn’t all bad. After debuting in Dubai, the 777X would eventually fly to Doha and Frankfurt. The latter is significant because after it arrived there, it was announced that Lufthansa would be the new launch customer for the type by 2023 as well as expressing interest in a 777XF freighter. So despite the 777X not receiving any new orders at the airshow itself, it looks as though the program is moving in the right direction.
Alaska Airlines ecoDemonstrator
In addition to their 777X, Boeing in partnership with Alaska Airlines flew in a special 737 MAX 9 as part of their ecoDemonstrator program to showcase how aviation is moving towards a greener future. One good example is how the sidewalls in the interior of the plane were all made from recycled carbon fibers that were scrapped from Boeing’s manufacturing plants. In addition to reducing waste, the carbon fiber is being used by Boeing and Alaska to see if it makes a difference in reducing the noise inside the cabin. Moreover the plane is powered by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to reduce CO2 emissions. As well as many other technologies being tested, the research that’s being applied to this plane will go a long way into the industry reducing their carbon footprint.
Etihad Unveiling their A350-1000
While it didn’t get as many headlines as the previous entries on the list, it’s still something worth talking about. That would be the unveiling of Etihad’s A350-1000 and their new business class product. Their business class bears a strong resemblance to what’s offered on British Airways new Club World Suites. Basically it has a sliding door to ensure more privacy for passengers and it helps the Abu Dhabi based carrier have a product that would compete with other airlines such as Qatar, Emirates and Singapore. Especially given the fact that Etihad is moving away from the A380 and their popular First Class “Residence/Apartment,” they need to do something to stay relevant when it comes to premium offerings.
Conclusion
In summary, the Dubai Airshow is a statement to the world that aviation is ready to recover after a nightmarish 2020 that featured cancelled orders, early retirements and border closures that resulted in airlines dealing with record losses. So with that all said, what do you guys think about the Dubai Airshow? Is this a turning point for the aviation industry? Let me know in the comments below and keep looking to the sky!
Terrific summary, Jam. I always learn new and fascinating stories about aviation from you. Your optimism about aviation bouncing back after the pandemic is refreshing to read. Thank you!