At the 2021 Dubai Airshow, the first major airshow since the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Airbus received 269 firm orders and 139 commitments for aircraft across all Families, including their first commitment for A350F freighters.
On Thursday (November 18, 2021), Airbus published a recap of their activity and success at the 2021 Dubai Airshow. In the first major airshow since the onset of the pandemic two years ago, customers demonstrated confidence in the recovery of the aviation industry by placing orders and commitments for 408 Airbus aircraft. The total includes 269 firm orders and 139 commitments across all Airbus Families, including the first commitment for Airbus A350F freighters. In a pre-show event, the company launched their latest global market forecast which predicted the need for 39,000 new-build passenger and freighter aircraft over the next 20 years, of which around 15,250 or 40 percent would be replacements for older, less efficient models.
Airbus scored a large order on the opening day of the 2021 Dubai Airshow as Indigo Partners portfolio airlines (Wizz Air, Frontier Airlines, Volaris and JetSMART) placed an order for 255 A321neo Family aircraft. During day two of the show, Air Lease Corporation (ALC) signed a commitment for 111 Airbus aircraft across all Families, including seven A350F freighters. ALC also announced the launch of the first ever ESG scheme in aircraft procurement, a joint Sustainability Fund to foster decarbonization solutions. On the third day of the airshow, Jazeera Airways committed to 28 A321neos and Ibom Air of Nigeria became a new Airbus customer with a firm order for 10 A220s.
On the defence side, Airbus sold two A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft to the United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defense, and also secured a new export order for two A400M new generation airlift aircraft from the Indonesian Ministry of Defence. Additionally, Airbus highlighted their desire to play a leading role in the development of innovative and sustainable solutions for urban air mobility, with the goal of leveraging technologies and partnerships to bring a product to market by 2025.
Source: Airbus