QR seems to be a “me too” affair. Unless they plan to go into the leasing business, I think that EK will eventually crush them and that they will not take delivery of all those aircraft.

Most interesting is what the EU carriers and governments will do when the middle east carriers start using all that capacity to kill their margins and yields. Will they resort to protectionist measures, such as limiting access? Such a move would probably jeopardize a chunk of EADS’ backlog. Will they subsidize their national airlines in some form in order to “level the playing field”? Or will they let EK and other mid east airlines steam roll over their beloved national carriers?

And as for this comment:
“I do not see why Airbus would have any bigger problems then Boeing, unless we see a bigger backlog as a problem.”
The bigger backlog is great to have–unless something adverse happens, such as the above article notes. Then it becomes a liability. It could also be a liability if the only way its profitable is to have to place currency hedges. If the aircraft were sold at healthy profit margins, then that isn’t an issue.

Everything I read indicates that the pilot shortage will be with us for the foreseeable future. At some point, this has to limit the rate of growth, even if all those planes get delivered on time.

IMO oil price is the enabler of the developping Middle East airliners. That one is probably not getting low in the foreseable future.

For the competing Asian and European airlines the biggest cost factor is fuel, for which the ME airlines can likely get favorable prices. The owners of the ME airlines also own the sources of fuel..

Unfiar but reality..