Sees Increasing Interest in A321neo and A350F Freighter

Airbus scored a solid win at the 2021 Dubai Airshow, the first major post-pandemic event of its kind, when total orders and commitments totaled 408 aircraft. The agreements covered a spectrum of their commercial offerings, including the first sale of their A350F freighter derivative.

In all, the company obtained 269 firm orders, and 139 commitments, an impressive outcome on the heels of a year that had appeared, at times, to be the beginning of a global economic implosion. Just before the show, Airbus launched its optimistic new global market forecast showing a progressive shift in demand away from fleet growth to accelerating retirement of older, less efficient aircraft. They expect over 39,000 freshly built passenger and freighter aircraft to be purchased, with around 40% of them going to replace legacy aircraft. It seems the time is right for the change, with companies now seeing advancements in avionics, cabin quality, in flight entertainment, fuel efficiency, and emissions when choosing to upgrade instead of overhaul. 

The airshow's themes of Mobility, Sustainability, and Opportunity were showcased by Airbus when it lit up the tallest building on Earth, the Burj Khalifa, with its company purpose. "Pioneering sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world" was displayed on the face of the Dubai landmark on the eve of the expo. The next day, Indigo Partners placed a firm order for 255 A231neo aircraft. 

Day 2 saw Air Lease Corporation commit to 111 aircraft across a range of models, wh 7 of their A350 Freighter, 25 A220-300s, 55 A321neos, 20 A321XLRs, and 4 A330neos. Day 3 saw the sale of 28 A321neos and Nigerian Ibom Air entered the Airbus client list with an order for 10 A220s. Airbus sold 2 of their A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport to the UAE Air Force. Airbus has intimated their future lies in creating more sustainable solutions in urban air mobility, leveraging partnerships and tech to enter the market by 2025. 

FMI: www.airbus.com