Desert Rose
November 23rd, 2009
The Dubai Air Show 2009 ended with deals amounting to just shy of 10% of the total value of the same event two years ago, a now seemingly distant memory of what the industry was like as money “ka-chinged” through the cash registers and various financial institutions.
Surprisingly, there wasn’t a splash from Emirates, although its desire for further A380’s is almost certainly something to watch out for in the future, particularly as Airbus battles to rein in costs on the big quad.
UPS Boeing MD11F passes behind Al-Futtaim Mosque, Dubai
Wooing the crowd with its aerial displays, the A380 also provided a much needed respite from the sun as show attendees took advantage of the runways close proximity to capture an array of classic and modern airplanes frequenting Dubai International Airport.
Equally imposing was Qatar Airways’ newest 777-200LR - the venue has become a billboard event for the Doha-based carrier to let the world stage know that not everything in the Persian Gulf peninsula revolves around the UAE.
But for all pre-show headlines, the post-show discussions and analysis will remain squarely on when a meaningful industry recovery will take place and how long will airlines have to bleed to come through the other side of the tunnel to start growing again. Oil prices have continued to spike throughout the year, touching highs of around $80/barrel with premium paying customers cutting back on their travel costs - the continued strength in the Middle East is underlined largely with O&D traffic, coupled with the expansion of low cost carriers making the most of their ability to avoid reliance on high yield fares and concentrate on getting people from A to B as cheaply as possible, led by stalwart Air Arabia.
All in all, the event this time around was distinctly quieter - but in tangent with industry difficulties that brought home the challenges that have passed and those that have yet to come.
While the concept of desert mirages will never be too far away, the warm (or hot) great blue Dubai winter sky provided an awesome backdrop for the static airplane display as well as those that roared into an air of ambiguity - roll on 2011 at Al-Maktoum International Airport.
All images owned/copyright of FleetBuzz Editorial.com
More Dubai Air Show images located here.
Entry Filed under: Air Arabia, Airbus, Airbus A318, Airbus A319, Airbus A320, Airbus A321, Airbus A330, Airbus A330-200, Airbus A330-300, Airbus A340, Airbus A340-200, Airbus A340-300, Airbus A340-600, Airbus A350, Airbus A350-1000, Airbus A350-800, Airbus A350-900, Airbus A350XWB, Airbus A380-800, Boeing, Boeing 737-700, Boeing 737-800, Boeing 737-900ER, Boeing 737NG, Boeing 747, Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental, Boeing 747-8F, Boeing 747-8I, Boeing 767, Boeing 777, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 777F, Boeing 787, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 787-3, Boeing 787-8, Boeing 787-9, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Dubai Air Show, EADS, Emirates, FlyDubai, Jazeera Airways, John Leahy, Qatar Airways, Randy Tinseth
26 Comments Add your own
1. USAF Fan | November 23rd, 2009 at 06:18
Great pictures, love that first one BTW.
2. Aurora | November 23rd, 2009 at 13:57
Given EK’s feeding frenzy at the 2007 show, 10% less is a pretty successful show IMO. As for recovery, didn’t EADS announce that the current financial crisis will still be felt in 2010 & 2011? Even that may prove optimistic.
3. Leelaw | November 23rd, 2009 at 15:08
“10% less is a pretty successful show IMO”
It wasn’t 10% less, it was 90% less.
BTW, everything old is new[s] again.
When there isn’t much newsworthy happening, Mr. Clark is always willing to overplay “Hamlet” for the media.
The fawning media coverage/hype which is the cornerstone of Mr. Leahy’s enduring “cult of personalty” has apparently made a roaring comeback:
http://gulfnews.com/business/aviation/american-helps-airbus-upstage-old-rival-1.529973
4. Ozzie | November 23rd, 2009 at 15:30
That penultimate photo (cabin) has a rather provocative/delightful image of some jubblies!
5. Buster | November 23rd, 2009 at 16:37
And still no humble-pie mention of Ethiopian’s firm order for A350s from the August detractors. Too busy choking maybe?
6. Dougloid | November 23rd, 2009 at 16:46
That penultimate photo (cabin) has a rather provocative/delightful image of some jubblies!
Anything to sell airplanes and any old port in a storm, what?
7. Erik Bloodaxe | November 23rd, 2009 at 16:54
And Johnny Leahy fresh from his whirlwind tour of Dubai is today, in the docket answering questions about his insider trading. Funny how nobody ever asks him about that. Anyone taking bets that if found guilty will he resign? He’d best thank his lucky stars he isn’t still in the US, as he’d be looking at doing time rather than a slap on the wrist with a wet baguette like in France.
8. Aurora | November 23rd, 2009 at 17:46
Leelaw, you’re right! Thanks for the correction.
So to restate my comments in the correct context, the show “fell short of expectations”. And..the usual “EK feeding frenzy” did not materialize.
9. Paulo M | November 23rd, 2009 at 19:33
Nice pictures here and at Flickr. What film were you watching in the QATAR 777-200LR - a vampire horror perhaps? Probably fitting for the show - seeing that a certain number of vampire capitalists ensured the world economy would be in the position it is today - no offense at capitalism in general. Get out the garlic and wooden stakes
An unsurprising outcome to the show - perhaps the real business was discussing up and coming new aircraft. Nice welcome at Boeing.
10. Mike M | November 23rd, 2009 at 19:59
>>>Buster
Who gives a shit about that A350 order?
The only reason it ever even became a talking point was because Airbus proclaimed it as an order when it was an LOI/MOU.
Now that its firmed up, big deal. Thats the course of deals - not proclaiming them first before the ink has dried, but of course, thats way too much for someone like you to admit.
>>>Dougloid
I didnt think Arabic airlines showed such lewd content to their customers!!
11. Tiger Moth | November 23rd, 2009 at 21:19
Appreciate the show review. There was a noticeably lower presence than two years ago but still, there was a certain amount of optimism. Middle East traffic is expected to grow 8% in 2009, although it is not all profitable growth.
>>> Mike M
>>> Who gives a shit about that A350 order?
Quite a few people I would say. Concerning the Ethiopian order, as I recall, the original post from August 2009 (Hot Air) contained a lot more than just a talking point about MoUs versus Purchase Agreements.
Let me quote from the original text:
“Of course there is an underlying reason as to why the 777-200LR was firmed up and the A350-900 wasn’t … Ethiopian Airlines is presently closer to letting the MoU lapse than it is to signing something more definitive … As it stands, there are quarters within the airline that wished they had never announced it in the first place.”
Therefore, I would say Buster has every reason to wonder aloud why the author chose not to mention what was the single highest value order of the show in his Dubai review. Could he possibly have missed that particular news?
After going to the trouble of writing Hot Air in the first place, it would seem normal to complete the story with the latest news that the Purchase Agreement was signed in Dubai and deposits were paid. Because the author clearly implied in the original piece and comments that this would never happen.
Ethiopian CEO Girma Wake was widely quoted as saying that when it is delivered, the 787-8 will be used on short haul routes to replace the 757/767, the A350-900 for growth on the long haul routes, and the 772LR for the ultra long-hauls. And that they would look to lease other A350s to assure early delivery dates.
That’s a very exciting fleet plan and I wish Ethiopian all the best for the future.
In fact, at the show, this Ethiopian story was far more widely reported and therefore newsworthy than the presence of Qatar’s third (so not their first then) 772LR, the A380 (its aerial display “provided a much needed respite from the sun” … are you kidding me? is this a comic?) or Etihad’s A340-600 - which at least had a new First Class product.
12. Tiger Moth | November 23rd, 2009 at 22:08
Sincere apologies. On re-reading the post, I see the author meant that the A380 was providing a welcome respite from the sun while it was on the ground rather than while in the air. The “also” in the sentence makes all the difference, which I missed first time round. I also fully retract the ‘comic’ reference. Me bad.
It’s just too late at night where I am to be posting comments. I’m going to sleep now.
13. FleetBuzz Editorial.com | November 24th, 2009 at 06:03
Tiger Moth:
I didnt cover any deal in the post-show review, so not covering the ET deal falls in the same category
Equally, “Hot Air” was at that time, about the ET management team and Airbus being further away from signing a deal than many imagine, want to admit to or even know about. That gap has since been bridged, although the underlying crux of that post was Airbus’ disingenuous use of calling an MoU a firm deal in its initial press release.
14. Vero Venia | November 24th, 2009 at 08:35
If my memory serves me well, the first Ethiopian A350 delivery is planned in 2017. It must be the first available production slot available for them.
If you look at the information sheet in the link below, you can see that the A350-900 will be a very good aircraft.
http://www.airbus.com/en/aircraftfamilies/a350/efficiency/specifications/a350-900_specifications/
Whether the actual aircraft will be as good as depicted in the document above is another subject of discussion.
15. Buster | November 24th, 2009 at 12:40
13. FleetBuzz Editorial.com | November 24th, 2009 at 06:03
although the underlying crux of that post was Airbus’ disingenuous use of calling an MoU a firm deal in its initial press release.
Only one problem with that, I don’t see the word “firm” used in the PR in relation to Ethiopian.
AIRBUS PR QUOTED IN FULL:
“Ethiopian Airlines, one of the largest and fastest growing airlines in Africa, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for 12 Airbus A350 XWB aircraft, becoming a new Airbus customer. The airline has selected the A350-900, and will operate the aircraft from their hub in Addis Ababa, linking Africa with Europe, the US and Asia.
“The A350-900, with its high levels of passenger comfort combined with unbeatable economics perfectly fits our future fleet requirements,” said Mr Girma Wake, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines. “The A350-900 will bring increased capacity and range to our rapidly expanding network.”
“We are delighted to welcome Ethiopian Airlines as a new Airbus customer,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “The A350 XWB will shape new levels of efficiency for medium and long haul operations, allowing Ethiopian Airlines to continue its impressive growth.”
The A350 XWB Family is Airbus’ response to widespread market demand for a series of highly efficient medium-capacity long-range wide-body aircraft. With a range of up to 8,300 nm / 15,400 km, it is available in three basic passenger versions.
The A350 XWB has the widest fuselage in its category, offering unprecedented levels of comfort, the lowest operating costs and lowest seat mile cost of any aircraft in this market segment. Powered by two new generation Rolls Royce Trent XWB engines, the A350 XWB Family is designed to confront the challenges of high fuel prices, rising passenger expectations, and environmental constraints.
Firm orders for the A350 XWB now stand at 493 from 31 customers worldwide.”
In addition, Ethiopian called it an order in their PR:
http://www.ethiopianairlines.com/en/news/prarchive.aspx?id=116
Ethiopian has placed an order for five B777-200LRs from the Boeing Company and twelve A350-900s from Airbus.
It was all just wishful thinking by the hot-air Boeing fanboyz living here.
16. FleetBuzz Editorial.com | November 24th, 2009 at 13:05
Buster
The point was that Airbus used the word “order” in its news release headline back in August, when at that time, I’m sure you’ll agree, no such firm order was placed.
Ignoring comments about fanboys on either sides, it is a well known activity on the part of Airbus and parent EADS to go back and correct/amend/edit their press releases - this practice is nothing new
17. Ed | November 24th, 2009 at 14:36
If my memory serves me well, the first Ethiopian A350 delivery is planned in 2017. It must be the first available production slot available for them.
If you look at the information sheet in the link below, you can see that the A350-900 will be a very good aircraft.
http://www.airbus.com/en/aircraftfamilies/a350/efficiency/specifications/a350-900_specifications/
Whether the actual aircraft will be as good as depicted in the document above is another subject of discussion.
Vero, you do understand the A-359 “XWB” is not as wide bodied as the B-777, don’t you. The A-359 is only a paper concept with no real defined performance or capabilities numbers, yet. The A-350-9 has about 236 orders, or about 1/3 of the orders for the B-787-9.
>>> Mike M
>>> Who gives a shit about that A350 order?
Quite a few people I would say. Concerning the Ethiopian order, as I recall, the original post from August 2009 (Hot Air) contained a lot more than just a talking point about MoUs versus Purchase Agreements.
Let me quote from the original text:
“Of course there is an underlying reason as to why the 777-200LR was firmed up and the A350-900 wasn’t … Ethiopian Airlines is presently closer to letting the MoU lapse than it is to signing something more definitive … As it stands, there are quarters within the airline that wished they had never announced it in the first place.”
Therefore, I would say Buster has every reason to wonder aloud why the author chose not to mention what was the single highest value order of the show in his Dubai review. Could he possibly have missed that particular news?
After going to the trouble of writing Hot Air in the first place, it would seem normal to complete the story with the latest news that the Purchase Agreement was signed in Dubai and deposits were paid. Because the author clearly implied in the original piece and comments that this would never happen.
Ethiopian CEO Girma Wake was widely quoted as saying that when it is delivered, the 787-8 will be used on short haul routes to replace the 757/767, the A350-900 for growth on the long haul routes, and the 772LR for the ultra long-hauls. And that they would look to lease other A350s to assure early delivery dates.
That’s a very exciting fleet plan and I wish Ethiopian all the best for the future.
In fact, at the show, this Ethiopian story was far more widely reported and therefore newsworthy than the presence of Qatar’s third (so not their first then) 772LR, the A380 (its aerial display “provided a much needed respite from the sun” … are you kidding me? is this a comic?) or Etihad’s A340-600 - which at least had a new First Class product.
Gee, I thought the A-359 was suppose to be the replacement airplane for the B-777, in all versions. Odd they were ordered at the same time, wouldn’t you say?
We have no idea if the A-350 program will follow the now well worn path of the A-380, A-400M and B-787 development programs, now do we? I am already expecting it to do that. The FF of the A-358 is suppose to be in 2012 with deliveries beginning in 2014-2015. Well, it is almost 2010 now, and what progress has Airbus made on the project? It is still only on paper.
As far as Ethiad’s A-340-600 customized first class section goes, I am confused. Are you talking about the custom job they did in TLS when the Ethiad A-346 climbed the blast fence?
18. Vero Venia | November 24th, 2009 at 15:32
17. Ed | November 24th, 2009 at 14:36
If you want to follow how the A350’s progresses, this is a press clipping on the subject.
http://trackinga350.wordpress.com/
19. Who cares | November 24th, 2009 at 18:04
Dubai is an overrated sandpit.
How many of the press of delegates ever wander out beyond the hotel resorts to the squalor of the city streets where Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans and Bangladeshies live and work?
Without that labor force, the UAE, the Emirates are a total waste of space. They promote freedom, but none for the modern day slaves they employ and trap by stealing their passports and travel documents.
The place is also a haven for Islamic terror money being funnelled around the GCC. The Saudis are funding Wahaabi extremists and the Iranians are using the banks to buy materials for its nuke program.
Ever wondered why there are NO attacks in Dubai etc, yet there are in Yemen, Saudi Arabia and beyond?
No conspiracy theories needed here, the place is full of despots. Without the slave labour, the UAE is a place full of snobby bastardized Arabs that cant do anything on their own, much less for themselves.
20. Dougloid | November 25th, 2009 at 04:42
Who cares sez “How many of the press of delegates ever wander out beyond the hotel resorts to the squalor of the city streets where Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans and Bangladeshies live and work?”
Thanks for telling it like it is, bruthah.
21. Vero Venia | November 25th, 2009 at 09:22
19. Who cares | November 24th, 2009 at 18:04
Thanks for your comment. It pushed me to read more about UAE.
According to the page in the link below, “73.9% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2009 est.)” (emphasis added)
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ae.html
22. Paulo M | November 25th, 2009 at 22:20
21. Vero Venia | November 25th, 2009 at 09:22
19. Who cares | November 24th, 2009 at 18:04
Thanks for your comment. It pushed me to read more about UAE.
According to the page in the link below, “73.9% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2009 est.)” (emphasis added)
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ae.html
Retweet.
Oh, and it’s really nice to play in the sand
23. Vero Venia | November 26th, 2009 at 09:36
This morning, BBC published a stunning news
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8380105.stm
What the heck is happening down there?
24. Leelaw | November 30th, 2009 at 13:28
Interesting news today on the WhaleBus[t] front related to Dubai:
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/11/30/335517/emirates-in-a380-delivery-hiatus-from-late-2010.html
25. Jack | November 30th, 2009 at 15:40
Leelaw, you should take comfort from this as well
http://www.glgroup.com/News/Airbus-Battles-With-Continued-A380-Woes-45023.html
26. Paulo M (Johannesburg, RSA) | November 30th, 2009 at 16:14
Is DXB World the property developer there? Really unfortunate position they find themselves in. For one thing, Dubai knocked so-called riskier developing markets and asset classes last week Thursday with its rescheduling of payments on about $59 billion in debt. Because Dubai’s property sector built for foreigners mostly, it’s going to have to take a recovery in the EU and US economies to get that Desert Rose in full bloom once more. Dire consequences ahead for airlines there if the recovery is slow.
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