AIRWAYS INDUSTRY
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2 The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner , adorned with Riyadh Air ’ s unique livery , was on static display at the air show , allowing visitors to view the unique purple aircraft livery up close . // TONY BORDELAIS
3 IndiGo CEO Peter Elbers signs the largest single order ever placed to date , for 500 Airbus aircraft . It consists of 125 A320neos and 375 A321neos . // SIMONE CHELLINI
The fallout resulting from the international sanctions imposed on Russia , and the shockwaves caused by the COVID-19 pandemic — which have seen the collapse of China ’ s industrial production and a faster-thanexpected recovery in air travel demand — have created shortages of materials and manpower throughout the aerospace supply chain ecosystem . Aircraft , engines and spares have been delayed , delivery deadlines missed . Airlines have felt the impacts on their future fleets and network plans .
Not even Nostradamus could have predicted the current state of flux in which aerospace players now find themselves , with the pre-pandemic normal fading from memory , and the post-pandemic future remaining cloudy as unstable oil prices and fears of economic recession in key airline markets further complicate an already complex scenario .
INDIGO SPICES UP THE SHOW
India ’ s low-cost carrier IndiGo ( 6E ) set Paris alight with a blockbuster deal for 500 Airbus A320neo family aircraft — the biggest single purchase
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agreement in the history of commercial aviation .
“ This was a day I will never forget ,” Pieter Elbers , Chief Executive Officer of IndiGo , told a crowded media room during the first day of the show . “ No one had ever [ placed ] an order of this magnitude .” He emphasized that the agreement is firm , with “ no options ”.
Guillaume Faury , Chief Executive Officer of Airbus , would not disclose the value of the order . The final composition of the order is 125 A320neos and
375 A321neos , with IndiGo being free to opt for the long-range A321XLR . No engine selection was made as of press date .
The agreement was announced at a time in which Indian commercial aviation is growing and expanding thanks to a growing middle class , increasing tourism , and government policies supporting the industry by opening the country to new markets and privatizing Air India ( AI ), now part of the Tata Group .
If IndiGo was the star of the first trading day of the show , Air India
32 AIRWAYS MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2023 www . airwaysmag . com