S'pore Airshow's order value 'unlikely to top Dubai's'

SOME US$200 billion in orders were booked at this week's Dubai Airshow, thanks largely to gulf carriers Emirates, Etihad and Qatar, which sealed blockbuster deals for high-value commercial aircraft.

US planemaker Boeing, which launched its 777X aircraft at the show, secured orders and commitments (excluding options) for more than 340 airplanes worth more than US$101 billion; Airbus said yesterday that it walked away with 160 orders and commitments worth US$44 billion, most notably for its A380 and A350 XWB models.

Speaking to The Business Times yesterday, the managing director of show organiser Experia Events Jimmy Lau said it was too early to project the number of orders that would be inked at the Singapore Airshow, just three months away.