All The Biggest Aviation News From The Show

With just one day left to go, this year’s Dubai Airshow has already proven an exciting and insightful week for aviation enthusiasts everywhere.

From Boeing reestablishing the 737 MAX as a worthy competitor to Airbus’ A320neo dominance to some bulky maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) contracts set to reshape the industry, as the biannual event prepares to draw to close, airlines, manufacturers, and industry leaders are putting the finishing touches on partnership. Let’s recap November 16…

15 more Airbus A350s for Emirates

While its Airbus A380 and Boeing 777X future fleet plans have already been well established through the week, Dubai-based Emirates has swooped in with an eleventh-hour deal with Airbus for 15 A350-900s, bulking up its backlog to 65 Airbus A350 jets following several days of discussions.

The announcement went largely under the radar, with Airbus and Emirates choosing not to hold a signing ceremony to cement the occasion, instead opting for a simple online statement from CEO Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.

Image: Airbus

Journalists and social media users have highlighted the rather pointed lack of Airbus A350-1000s in the small order, likely due to ongoing issues with the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97. Speaking at a roundtable event earlier this week, airline president Sir Tim Clark criticized Rolls-Royce’s engine, claiming that it’s “not doing what [Emirates] wants” and that the airline had no interest in purchasing defective aircraft. Ouch.

Read more: Emirates Orders More Airbus A350-900s But No -1000

Air Chateau scoops up 100 Archer Aviation eVTOL in a $500 million deal

Following the announcement that Archer Aviation would begin working on the construction of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) infrastructure across the UAE in October, the sustainable aircraft developer has confirmed it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Air Chateau International for 100 Midnight eVTOL aircraft, worth up to $500 million.

Air Chateau is one of the UAE’s leading private air travel providers, primarily focusing on helicopter travel, though its deal with Archer Aviation will see the operator shift into the sustainable travel industry and provide urban air mobility across the Gulf state from its hub at Dubai World Central International Airport’s (DWC) Dubai Helipark.

Archer Aviation CEO Adam Goldstein thanked Air Chateau and its team, noting the airshow’s ability to accommodate the deal. Goldstein added,

“Their recognition that our Midnight aircraft meets what the customer demands in the UAE market and desire to secure the purchase of up to 100 Midnight aircraft is another exciting validation of our efforts to bring to market an aircraft that will revolutionize how people move in and around cities.”

Alongside the order, the Palo Alto-based manufacturer is set to build an engineering center within the UAE to support its development and expansion into other markets across the Middle East.

Airbus to provide connectivity on Emirates, Air Algerie, and Air India flights

Although orders for its aircraft have largely dominated headlines this week, Airbus’ aviation solutions are proving to be a silent winner for the European aircraft manufacturer. The additional deals will see Airbus provide its Airspace Link HBCplus connectivity solution to Emirates, Air Algerie, and Air India.

Emirates, the launch customer for the satellite-based solution, will roll out Airspace Link HBCplus on the entirety of its A350-900 fleet and 60 retrofitted A380s, while Air Algerie and Air India will implement it on their recently ordered A330neo and A350-900s.

According to Airbus, combined with an earlier Ethiopian Airlines order for 15 units, its entire Airspace Link HBCplus backlog now totals over 125 orders.

Read More: Airbus Scores Connectivity Deals From Emirates, Air India & Air Algerie At The Dubai Airshow

Droning on about MRO

With the ink barely dry on its recent 777X order, Emirates and Boeing have signed an MRO MoU set to provide the carrier with some very innovative technology to maintain its growing fleet. The innovative solution offered by Boeing will see Emirates deploy drones to support 777 aircraft inspections, streamlining the process.

Source: Dubai Media Office via X

Engineers will be able to utilize augmented and virtual reality to aid in the continued maintenance of aircraft, with the system able to pinpoint issues and defects that may not be outwardly obvious before they become a bigger problem, reducing the potential for human error. Emirates noted,

“These technologies promise to deliver more precise and comprehensive aircraft inspections, reduce the risk of human error, and significantly cut down the time aircraft spend out of service – optimizing fleet availability and performance.”

Sustainable initiatives and soaring ticket prices

Moving away from aircraft directly and into the realm of business, Dubai Airport CEO Paul Griffiths has noted that the shift towards sustainable air travel may cause a rise in airfares. Speaking to Business Recorder at the show, Griffiths outlined Dubai World Central and Dubai International Airport’s (DBX) recent work to limit plastic waste and develop its own cooking oil-based biofuel.

Photo: Plamen Galabov I Shutterstock

According to Griffiths, passengers demanding sustainable air travel need to be prepared for ticket prices to rise as airports and airlines begin investing further in green programs to meet industry net-zero targets.

Following this week’s Dubai Airshow, Dubai will begin gearing up to host the 2023 UN COP28 summit, set to run from November 30 to December 12, where Dubai Airports will unveil some new initiatives to show off its commitments to sustainable airport operations.

On the fringes of the conference, the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) will run the Global Sustainable Aviation Forum on December 6, highlighting sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production challenges, the ongoing energy transition, and research and development for future solutions.

What are your thoughts on today’s announcements from the Dubai Airshow? Let us know in the comments.

Sources: Gulf News, Business Recorder