Farnborough deal-making results in mega-orders from Arab kingdoms

MIDDLE East airlines, mainly from Arab kingdoms, made massive orders for aircraft at the Farnborough International Air Show.

Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways ordered US$20 billion in aircraft from Boeing and Airbus plus the A330 freighters it ordered earlier for Etihad Crystal Cargo, amounting to 100 planes - 55 from Airbus and from 45 Boeing. This includes 10 Airbus A380s on top of the 38 planes, including two A300 freighters, it already owns.

Dubai budget airline carrier FlyDubai ordered fifty B737s for $4 billion and Saudi Arabia Airlines will pay for eight A330s, which follows earlier big orders from Qatar Airways and Emirates.

Dubai is building an air cargo hub to serve the region and the Indian subcontinent, which will substantially increase Mideast bellyhold capacity, reported the UK's Transport Intelligence.

Middle East air cargo volumes increased by more than 10 per cent last year, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) figures, compared to 1.3 per cent internationally.