Qatar Airways ordered 10 Boeing 777-8X jetliners at the Paris Air Show on Monday, bringing its total orders for the 777X family of revamped long-range jets to 60.
The airline also said it was ordering four 777 freighters.
The orders, which are all firm contracts, are worth a total of US$4.8 billion at list prices.
Announcing the deal at the air show, Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker took a swipe at the head of US carrier Delta Airlines, which has accused Qatar Airways and other major Gulf carriers of receiving huge subsidies – a charge they deny.
“I hope that the gentleman at Delta knows that we are creating even more jobs in the United States by ordering more airplanes,” he said.
Mr Al Baker also reiterated a threat to quit the oneworld airline alliance in a spat with American Airlines, one of three US carriers also involved in the subsidy row. Qatar Airways joined the alliance in 2013.
Its top executive has said American is inhibiting its business by restricting terminal access at New York’s John F Kennedy airport.
“We are only committed to oneworld provided the spirit in which we joined oneworld exists,” Mr Al Baker said.
“If we are being cornered by an airline that invited us to be part of the alliance and is now acting against our interests … blocking inventory and blocking us gates at JFK, of course we have no purpose to be in an alliance.
“If we find that we cannot have a settlement to this very contentious issue, yes we will exit from oneworld.”
Boeing likewise signed a memorandum with the Asian carrier Garuda Indonesia for 30 787-9 Dreamliners with a list price of about $7.7bn, together with 30 shorter-range 737 Max 8 airliners worth about $3.2bn. Airbus signed a letter of intent with the carrier for 30 A350 wide bodies, the European manufacturer's newest model. That agreement has a list price of more than $9bn.
Airbus also announced that Saudi Arabian Airlines will become the first customer for a regional version of its A330-300 airliner, and will buy 20 of the planes, together with 30 single-aisle A320s with current-generation engines. The European planemaker has sought to gain a bigger slice of the wide-body market, which has historically been a Boeing stronghold, and both companies have brought their newest aircraft to the event to showcase their capabilities.
The Paris show, which alternates with the Farnborough expo southwest of London, is set to provide a further order lift for both companies in the narrow-body market, the backbone of most global airline fleets.
The largest transaction could be for 100 Boeing Maxes for lessor AerCap Holdings, people familiar with the matter said. That would be valued at more than $10bn, based on the $106.9 million list price for the top-selling Max 8.
Airbus is close to a sale of 60 A320neos to General Electric’s leasing unit, other people said. Lessors are prized buyers because they place planes with multiple customers. GE Capital Aviation Services has previously bought Maxes and the neo, while AerCap had neos on its books but none of the new Boeings. GE is the sole engine supplier on the Max.
Among the first leasing companies to place orders at the show was Air Lease, run by Steve Udvar-Hazy, which said it will buy one additional A350-900, as well as one additional A321ceo and three A320ceos. Customers typically get steep discounts on aircraft orders and don’t pay full list prices.
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The specs: 2018 Maserati Ghibli
Price, base / as tested: Dh269,000 / Dh369,000
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 355hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.9L / 100km
Ads on social media can 'normalise' drugs
A UK report on youth social media habits commissioned by advocacy group Volteface found a quarter of young people were exposed to illegal drug dealers on social media.
The poll of 2,006 people aged 16-24 assessed their exposure to drug dealers online in a nationally representative survey.
Of those admitting to seeing drugs for sale online, 56 per cent saw them advertised on Snapchat, 55 per cent on Instagram and 47 per cent on Facebook.
Cannabis was the drug most pushed by online dealers, with 63 per cent of survey respondents claiming to have seen adverts on social media for the drug, followed by cocaine (26 per cent) and MDMA/ecstasy, with 24 per cent of people.
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
The 10 Questions
- Is there a God?
- How did it all begin?
- What is inside a black hole?
- Can we predict the future?
- Is time travel possible?
- Will we survive on Earth?
- Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
- Should we colonise space?
- Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
- How do we shape the future?
Scoreline
Swansea 2
Grimes 20' (pen), Celina, 29'
Man City 3
Silva 69', Nordfeldt 78' (og), Aguero 88'
England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29