Orders for new aircraft are flying in at the biennial Farnborough International Airshow, the largest of its kind in the world, and an event at which aerospace companies traditionally make major announcements.
After spending $11 billion on Airbus A380s at last month's Berlin Airshow, Emirates led the way at Farnborough with an order for 30 Boeing 777 aircraft worth £5.9 billion ($9.1 billion). The airline was originally expected to order only twenty.
US group Air Lease Corporation has ordered 51 Airbus A 320 jets, worth $4.4 billion and Russian airline Aeroflot ordered 11 Airbus A330-300s, worth $1.7 billion. Rolls-Royce won the $650 million contract to supply 24 engines for the Aeroflot order.
Meanwhile European airline Flybe, based in Exeter, England, announced an order for 35 Embraer 175 jets worth $1.3 billion (£850 million), to underpin its expansion into Western Europe. The first of the 88-seater planes is due to be delivered in September 2011, and the last by March 2017. Flybe has an option to buy an extra 105 aircraft, which would take the deal up to $5 billion.
"We are securing an aircraft that fits with our stated aim of furthering our position as the leading regional airline in Europe," said Flybe's chief executive, Jim French. "This is a good time to buy aircraft and fits Flybe's long tradition of ground-breaking deals which power the long-term growth of the company."
Other customers emerging at Farnborough this week include GE Capital Aviation Services, the aircraft leasing operation of GE, which will buy 40 Boeing 737-800 aircraft worth $3 billion, as well as 60 Airbus A320s valued at $4.5 billion.
