Airbus Wins Major Order of A350 from Qatar

Qatar Airways has announced its decision to buy 60 Airbus A350 long-range jets, a number that Noël Forgeard, chief executive of Airbus, said was enough to ensure that the plane would be built.

Undoubtdly, the first day of the aerospace event belonged to the Airbus. The deal of 60 A350 aircrafts, worth about $ 10.6 billion marks the first major order for the A350s.

With the tentative commitment from Qatar Airways, orders for the A350 now total 90. John Leahy, Airbus’s chief commercial officer, predicted that orders would top 100 before the end of the show on Sunday.

More than 200 planes and helicopters are on display at Le Bourget, the aerospace industry’s biggest gathering, alongside aeronautical and military hardware from 41 countries.

The clear star of the show is the Airbus A380 "superjumbo," the world’s largest passenger plane, which took part in a display flight before French President Jacques Chirac. The 555-seater, set to fly every day at its first air show appearance, made its maiden flight in April.

Air show organizers are expecting a total of 300,000 visitors throughout the week, which opens to the public for its last three days, June 17-19.

Qatar Airways is the largest all-Airbus operator in the Middle East and one of the world’s leading airlines, with a fleet that comprises aircraft from the A320, A300/A310 and A330/A340 families. It is also a customer for the 21st Century flagship, the A380.

Qatar Airways will use the A350-800s and –900s to complement its A330s and A340s on regional and long-haul routes, respectively. Envisaged non-stop routes from Qatar Airways’ Doha base include New York and Melbourne for the A350-800s, and Johannesburg, Manilla and Tokyo for its A350-900s.