Le Bourget, north of Paris, will host the Paris Air Show next week. Signed orders (LoIs and MoUs) will draw attention. Post-Covid, the Paris Air Show returns.
IndiGo ordered 100 A320s during the 2005 Paris Air Show. The unnamed entity was mocked for placing such a huge order before commencing operations the next year. IndiGo received all 100 aircraft and placed two additional major orders of 500-odd aircraft.
What are major players showing?
Along with bargains, aircraft manufacturers’ displays are important. Airbus, headquartered in France, will display the A220, its smallest aircraft, and the A321XLR, which it hopes to operationalize by 2024. The A321LR, which has opened the transatlantic market for jetBlue, and the A350-900, six of which will join Air India later this year, will also be available. Airbus will display helicopters and defense planes.
The exhibition will include ATR’s newest ATR 72-600. India uses IndiGo, flyBig, and Alliance Air. Embraer will display the E195-E2, C 390, and Super Tucano defense aircraft.
Boeing will display the uncertified 737-10 and 777-9, which airlines have ordered. Boeing will display Indian Air Force Chinook and Apache helicopters.
The recently disclosed Riyadh Air 787 Dreamliner special livery will also be on show. The livery is globally popular. Airplane liveries are the external designs.
Qatar Airways will exhibit its Airbus A350-1000. Qatar Airways and Airbus will be taking a big step by having this aircraft at Paris after settling their peeling paint dispute out of court.
India’s spotlight
IndiGo may put a larger order than Air India did in February, according to sources. Widebody orders are also rumored for the airline.
IndiGo, India’s market leader, is expanding overseas. The airline developed domestically when local heroes died, but foreign operations are different due to bilateral rights and other factors.
The first installment payment formalized Air India’s LoI with Boeing. Will Air India join Airbus in Paris? Orders will be firmed up for second-half delivery.
Wide body?
Airbus dominates narrowbody and Boeing widebody in India. IndiGo’s first widebody operation is a damp-leased Boeing with pilots but no cabin crew.
Wow Air, AirAsia X, and Norwegian failed at low-cost widebody. Will IndiGo go widebody? India for Embraer and ATR?
Next week will reveal.