10th Dubai Airshow

Nov. 14, 2007
GA manufacturers announce new aircraft orders

Nov. 13--Wichita's three general aviation manufacturers announced orders at the Dubai Airshow, which got under way Sunday in the United Arab Emirates. Airbus and Boeing also announced jetliner orders at the show.

Organizers expect more than 40,000 visitors to attend the Dubai Airshow this week. The 10th show, held every other year, runs through Thursday.

Cessna Aircraft said it has sold 11 Citation business jets and 14 single-engine aircraft valued at more than $110 million to Wallan Aviation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Wallan Aviation is Cessna's authorized sales representative for the Middle East.

Wallan is buying four Skycatchers, 10 Skyhawk TDs, four Citation Mustangs, one CJ2-Plus, one CJ3, one XLS-Plus, three Sovereigns and one Citation X. Deliveries will begin in 2008.

Cessna also received an order from Ethiopian Airlines for 10 turbo-diesel-powered 172S Skyhawk single-engine piston aircraft. Cessna announced a diesel option for the plane last month.

Bombardier Aerospace announced the sale of two business jets to Dana Group of Lagos, Nigeria.

Dana Group is buying a Wichita-built Learjet 45XR light jet and a Challenger 605 wide-body jet. The two aircraft are the launch orders for Dana Group's new subsidiary, Dana Airlines LTD. The order is valued at about $39 million.

Bombardier also announced that Rizon Jet, a charter operator in the Gulf region, has placed an order for a Challenger 605 large business jet and Global 5000 super-large jet in a deal valued at about $69 million. The planes will be based in Bahrain.

Hawker Beechcraft Corp. announced that Saudi Arabia has ordered five Beechcraft King Air 350Cs. The planes will be used for Saudi Ministry of Defense and Aviation emergency medical evacuations.

HBC also said it had received certification for its King Air 350ER aircraft, an extended-range derivative of the King Air 350.

State-owned Dubai Aerospace Enterprise announced Monday that it will buy 100 Airbus planes for $13.5 billion.

Dubai Aerospace, which develops airports and leases and finances aircraft, also said it will buy 100 aircraft from Boeing Co., in a deal worth $13.7 billion.

That order comprises 70 Boeing 737s and 30 wide-body aircraft, Boeing said. The wide-body fleet will be split between 787s, 777s and the freighter 747s.

Emirates-based low-cost carrier Air Arabia said it would buy up to 49 Airbus A320 aircraft in a deal worth $3.5 billion. The Sharjah-based carrier signed a firm contract for 34 aircraft with an option for 15 more.

Also Monday, Saudi Arabian Airlines said it signed a memorandum of understanding for 22 Airbus A320 aircraft to modernize its fleet, Airbus said. The agreement allows the Saudi airline to increase the order by eight more A320s.

The orders come a day after Emirates Airline announced it signed a massive order for 81 Airbus aircraft, with an option to buy 50 more. The company's firm order included eight of Airbus' new superjumbo A380.

Saudi low-cost carrier National Air Service said it would buy 20 Airbus A320 aircraft.

On Sunday, Emirates Airline also ordered 12 Boeing 777 jets, and Qatar Airways ordered 27 Boeing 777 planes.

Boeing also announced on Monday a proposal acceptance with Dubai Aerospace Enterprise for 100 Boeing aircraft including 70 737s and a mix of 787s, 747s and 777s.

LCAL, a Dubai-based leasing company, also announced Monday it plans to buy six Boeing 787 aircraft in a deal worth $972 million.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

To see more of The Wichita Eagle, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.kansas.com. Copyright (c) 2007, The Wichita Eagle, Kan. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.