Were there any more orders on Days 4 and 5….
With most of the orders being placed in Days 1-3, the final 2 days saw action on the key components for maintenance and passenger comfort.
Ethiopian – after the aircraft orders came a seating deal with Collins Aerospace. The premium seating to be fitted to their A350 and 737MAX
Emirates – in addition to aircraft orders, the carrier announced 2 more deals. The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority granted approval for major aircraft modifications. These to be carried out by the airline’s Engineering Department, through supplementary type certificates. Doing major cabin refurbishments and complex design changes in-house gives them greater control over costs, timelines and innovation priorities. Also signed was a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Rolls Royce, to bring A380 Trent 900 engine work in-house from 2027. Although extending its Total Care agreement well into 2040, a specialist facility will be built in Dubai to support the in-house initiative.
There were still a few orders for actual aircraft -
Royal Jordanian – put pen to paper for another 2 A321neo, via leasing company Avolon. To be delivered in 2027 and 2028
Air Cote d’Ivoire – ordered 4 E175, with purchase rights for a further 8. This strengthens Embraer’s position in a market traditionally served by turboprops and older narrowbodies
IndiaOne Air – signed letter of intent with De Havilland Canada for up to 10 Twin Otter Series 300-G. The next generation of this popular aircraft will support regional connectivity to remote Indian destinations
Ethiopian – agreed to lease 2 ATR 72-600 to Air Congo
Silk Way West - Azerbaijan’s cargo carrier has increased an existing order to 4 A350F, by adding to the 2 ordered in 2022. Delivery of the first planned for 2027-28.
So, who ran out the winner?
Airbus with 240 firm orders, the majority for its A320neo family. For Boeing, confidence appears to have been restored in its MAX8.
What does the future hold?
Honda – showcased its plans for a new eVTOL aircraft, after years of low-visibility development work. The company displayed a cabin mock-up, a one-third scale demonstrator it’s been flying in California and a compact turbogenerator model which will power the aircraft. The first full-scale prototype to be completed by end 2025, with first flight pencilled in for March 2026. Type certification is targeted for early 2030s.
Emirates SkyCargo - signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with VTOL aircraft developer LODD Autonomous. On the airshow’s final day, the 2 companies announced that they were forming a future flight alliance to “explore the development and deployment of next generation air cargo solutions”. Abu Dhabi-based LODD is currently developing an unmanned, hybrid heavy-lift cargo aircraft called Hili, designed to carry up to 250 kilograms and travel up to 700 kilometres.
Winding up another successful event, Emirates showcased the flypast preparation in a series of social media posts, including a video of what was involved.
In other news –
Westjet – the Canadian carrier announced further expansion. Starting 2026, YYZ-CWL 22 May and YYZ-GLA 15 May. Another case of no one seeing this coming!
EasyJet – commencing 30 March 2026, SEN-JER. There’s little information at the moment so the flights may only be seasonal.
JetBlue – introducing 2 new European routes in 2026. BOS-BCN commencing 16 April, daily seasonal. Also BOS-MXP starting 11 May, daily seasonal.
And finally –
Flightgift – a new gift card has launched, which can be loaded with a monetary value and used to buy flights from over 400 airlines. It’s valid for 2 years and available in a variety of formats.
However, there’s a word of warning from the well-known travel journalist, Simon Calder. Actually it’s a few words of guidance! Flights cannot be booked directly with the carrier. Having made test bookings for a range of BA flights, the tickets typically cost 7.5-9.5% more than buying direct. So, it’s better to give the gift as cash or promise to pay for a weekend away….
Information courtesy of Simple Flying, Aerotime, Westjet, EasyJet, Simon Calder
Images courtesy of Emirates, Honda Global
©TPSC, LadyJet2, information and photo/diagram suppliers