November 13, 2007

Flying machines flock to cash oasis

In recent years on the international airshow circuit, the Airbus A380 super-large airliner has dominated static displays. But here in Dubai, the double-decker had to vie for visitors’ attention among some 140 aircraft of all sorts of shape, size, origin and purpose. There is something here for everyone, from freighters and fighters to the fanciest VIP jets. more

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DAE challenges leasing rivals with mammoth airliner deal

By Bernard Fitzsimons and Stephen Pope

Dubai Aerospace Enterprise made good on a promise to challenge the aerospace industry’s established aircraft leasing giants by committing to orders for 200 new Airbus and Boeing jets worth more than $27 billion.

DAE chairman HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum yesterday officially added $13.5 billion to Airbus’ already bursting order book when he and the European consortium’s CEO, Tom more

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UAE set to make AEW&C choice from Northrop, Boeing or Saab

By David Donald

The UAE Air Force will make a decision soon regarding its key airborne early warning and control aircraft (AEW&C) requirement, AIN understands. The choice follows an extensive analysis of the force’s operational needs and the issue of a highly detailed request for information (RFI) last year.

Before the previous Dubai Air Show the UAE Air Force and Air Defense had signaled its serious more

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Dubai’s billions bust airshow order records

By Stephen Pope

Dubai may harbor ambitions of one day hosting an airshow to outshine those held in Paris and Farnborough, but on one score the Gulf emirate is already well ahead. The nearly $80 billion worth of aircraft sales commitments announced through the first two days of the show smashed all-time records and easily surpassed even an impressive tally recorded at June’s Paris Air Show. 

Sunda more

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Ever-widening range of forces driving direction of engine tech

By Julian Moxon

The debate about the design of future commercial aircraft engines broadened this year as concerns mounted over the effect aircraft engines may be having on global warming, while the cost of aviation fuel rocketed and noise became ever more of an issue.

The biggest surprise of the year so far has come from Rolls-Royce (Stand W206) and CFM International (Stand W424), who revealed they are more

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Mitsubishi Picks GTF for Future RJs

By Julian Moxon

The news that Pratt & Whitney had beaten Rolls-Royce and General Electric in the competition to power the new Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) was received in the company’s Connecticut headquarters with more than the usual celebration. It meant that Pratt & Whitney had secured a launch order for one of the most important engines it has ever developed.

With the Geared Turbofan (GTF), desig more

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Eurocopter proves virtue of patience in Mideast

By Thierry Dubois

Eurocopter (Stand C220) expects the long-anticipated growth in demand for civil helicopters in the Middle East to materialize now and it believes the market’s emergence will have been worth the wait. According to regional marketing manager Xavier Hay, the helomaker expects to sell at least 20 civil rotorcraft per year in this part of the world. The European manufacturer currently has 650 aircraft– more

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Mideast’s new rich help drive bizav growth in Gulf region

By Charles Alcock

There is a bit of an ironic twist in the continuing fast-pace growth of business aviation in the Middle East. Many new users of business aircraft in this part of the world are part of the wave of economic diversification sweeping the Arabian Gulf states as they try to reduce their dependence on oil income in anticipation of the depletion of reserves. But, at the same time, it is the vast wealth be more

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Charter companies feast on bizav bounty

By Charles Alcock

The impressive growth of business aviation in the Middle East hasn’t excluded the region’s executive charter companies, some of which have been enjoying their most lucrative stretch  ever. Awash in available capital, they’ve not only added equipment and new markets, they’ve begun expanding into related businesses such as FBOs and maintenance services.

Royal Jet (Stand C130), for o more

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First TP400 engines to ship by year-end

By Julian Moxon

Airbus Military will receive the first four flight test engines for the delayed A400M medium-lift transport by the end of the year, ending speculation that the TP400 engine program has run into serious difficulties.

Europrop International (EPI), the four-nation consortium developing the 11,000-shp TP400, will also deliver the first flight test TP400 to Marshall Aerospace at the end of more

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