Airbus gets multi-billion order at Dubai Airshow

The multinational aerospace corporation, Airbus, has received a mega-order for 255 single-aisle A321 commercial aircraft on the first day of a major air show in Dubai.

The European plane-maker said on Sunday that the order came from Wizz Air, Frontier, Volaris and JetSMART – all US company Indigo Partners.

Total worth of the order comes to around $33 billion, according to the latest list price published by Airbus in 2018.

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said that because the four companies fall under the same aviation-focused equity firm, it allowed for a large order and for an attractive price, adding: "It's a give and take situation."

Hungarian low-cost carrier WDuaizz Air will receive 102 aircraft, American Frontier Airlines will receive 91, while 39 will go to Mexico's Volaris and 23 to Chilean JetSMART.

Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and head of Airbus International, said the Indigo Partners airlines had "acted fast and decisively over the last few months to position themselves for this landmark order as the effect of the pandemic recedes and the world wants more sustainable flying".

Covid’s impact

The embattled aviation industry flocked to the Dubai Airshow as it emerged from challenges of coronavirus pandemic travel restrictions and pressure to reduce its impact on climate change.

The five-day event in the United Arab Emirates is the industry's first large gathering since Covid-19 clipped the sector's wings last year after border closures left airports deserted and hundreds of aircraft idle.

Air traffic has bounced back since then, though it was still 53 percent lower in September than in pre-pandemic levels.

Indigo Partners chief Bill Franke said the company wanted "to be early in the (recovery) process".

Deliveries are set to begin in 2025.

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