The world is still reeling from the pandemic, and the aviation industry has been heavily struck by the coronavirus, but it is on the mend.
Boeing and Airbus have long been the show’s main attractions, battling for multibillion-dollar Gulf-based airline orders and finalizing specifics minutes before back-to-back press appearances. This year, however, the five-day event is projected to be much more subdued than in previous years, owing to the low level of flying and travel as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic and worldwide supply chain bottlenecks that have hampered plane manufacturers.
Airbus struck a contract with Indigo Partners to sell 255 new planes but refused to say how much the deal will cost. Budget airline Wizz Air will buy 102 new planes, while US Frontier will buy 91, Mexico’s Volaris will buy 39, and South American JetSmart will buy 23. A321neo and A321XLR aircraft are included in the deal.
The Dubai air show is one of the first major aviation trade shows to be held since the outbreak began. Dubai went under a temporary lockdown last year but has since reopened its doors to vaccinated and unvaccinated visitors in an effort to entice leisure and business spending and pull visitors to its multibillion-dollar EXPO 2020 World’s Fair location.
The tarmac outside the exhibition hall featured the latest commercial aviation advancements, as well as the global armaments trade and corporations’ ongoing push to market their hardware.
President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil strolled the tarmac outside Embraer’s exhibition, inspecting the interior of the company’s massive C-390 Millennium transport plane while smiling and waving to throngs of media.
At the Airbus exhibit, French Defense Minister Florence Parly studied the range of helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft, surrounded by uniformed French servicemen.
Boeing’s new 777-9 passenger plane flew in from Seattle, making it the 777X’s longest flight to date as it undergoes further testing and awaits regulatory approval. The plane will be the world’s largest and most efficient twin-engine jet, according to Boeing. Emirates the Middle East’s largest airline has ordered 126 of the 777X, but the Dubai-based carrier has expressed dissatisfaction with delivery delays, which are not expected until late 2023.
Boeing’s 737 Max airplanes which were grounded globally until recently, following two crashes that killed almost 350 people, continue to be under scrutiny. Boeing was forced to make improvements to flight software that contributed to the crashes, paid an unknown sum to airlines that were impacted by the plane’s suspension, and settled hundreds of lawsuits brought by the families of passengers killed in the crashes.
A320neo, which had been turned into a luxury corporate aircraft with a huge bed, walk-in shower, and vast sitting space with couches and coffee tables, was shown to journalists by Airbus.
CATIC, China’s state-owned defense company showed off a variety of anti-aircraft missiles, ammunition, and fighter jets. The Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate fighter jet, which will be unveiled to the public later Sunday, is also on exhibit. The plane is a less expensive alternative to the United States’ F-35 fighter jet, which the UAE has been pursuing since publicly recognizing Israel last year in an agreement arranged by the Trump administration. Under President Joe Biden, the sale has slowed.
An Emirati airman inspecting a Chinook CH-47 transport helicopter produced in the United States remarked that the transport aircraft had recently supported Emirati forces in Yemen and Afghanistan.
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel demonstrated its “drone dome,” which uses lasers to identify and destroy drones. At the Israeli booth, Emirati defense officials were observed inquiring about the anti-drone system’s range and weight. The air show will include six Israeli firms in total.
The UAE-Israel collaboration is a “strategic asset,” according to Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, who said in a statement that the Defense Ministry’s participation “reflects the growing connections” between the two countries. Iran, which is preparing to resume talks with the US and other world powers over its shattered nuclear deal, is a source of grave concern for the two countries.
The air show is being held near Dubai’s Al Maktoum Airport, which serves as a secondary and smaller international hub to Dubai’s main airport, which is the busiest in the world for international travel.
The airline sector as a whole is recovering from last year’s roughly $138 billion net loss, thanks to vaccination rollouts in numerous countries around the world.
Despite this, the industry as a whole is expected to lose money this year and next. Airlines are expected to lose $11.6 billion in 2022, according to the International Air Transport Association, and about $52 billion this year.
Despite the fact that commercial travel is still problematic due to outbreaks in several countries, freight volumes have already surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Some airlines have pulled the seats out of their grounded passenger jets and converted them into freight planes.
This year’s air show will feature more than 100 American companies.
“We are committed to deepening and enhancing this critical strategic relationship,” said Sean Murphy, US Embassy Charge d’affaires, thanking the UAE for its assistance in the US-led Afghan evacuations. Last week, the US State Department assisted in the evacuation to Abu Dhabi of a group of around 190 Afghans, including U.S.-trained Afghan pilots, who had fled to Uzbekistan following the Taliban’s August takeover.
