IHT - Middle Eastern National Air Carriers Expanding Rapidly - Emirates Orders 58 A380s

[hatrack]

HAMBURG: Climbing the stairway Monday to the first Airbus superjumbo to join his expanding fleet, the chairman of Emirates was doing more than celebrating receipt of the world's biggest passenger aircraft.

With Sheik Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum taking possession of his long-awaited A380 plane, the moment represented the shifting balance of power in an aviation industry grappling with one of the biggest crises it has known.

As carriers from American Airlines to Thai Airway International are responding to a new era of high oil prices by shedding jobs, culling routes and grounding aircraft, Middle Eastern carriers are expanding as fast as they can in hopes of redefining their region as the aviation crossroads of the globe.

"There is no sign of a crisis there," said Thomas Enders, the chief executive of Airbus, during an interview shortly before handing over the jet to the sheik. "These airlines are on a very impressive growth path and expansion course; they are steering a steady course while others are experiencing more difficulties." Emirates, which in 2000 became the first customer to sign a firm commitment to buy A380s, has increased its order from the initial seven by more than eightfold since then, despite a delay of nearly two years for the first delivery.

EDIT

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/28/business/gulfair.php

[hogwyld]

1. Boeing may be done in 5 - 10 years

Since the aviation industry, as a whole, is in a death spiral (pun intended)the collapse in aircraft demand will likely kill off 1 of the 2 manufacturers. Airbus seems to be a little more nimble, and is solidly backed by the european governments.