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Aircraft delivery to the Gulf region by aviation giant Boeing Company has doubled in the past two years, the manufacturing firm revealed at Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition & Conference (Dimdex 2014). |
The aviation company said: “Boeing has distinguished itself in the region among aircraft manufacturers by working closely with Middle East financiers. As a result, the region’s support for Boeing aircraft deliveries has essentially doubled in the last two years.”
The aircraft manufacturer noted that the “Middle East is an important commercial airplane market.”
“Carefully-planned economic development in many Arab countries, coupled with the steady expansion of far-reaching global airline networks, has led to the record growth of air travel,” it said.
In a forecast, Boeing said the Middle East will require 2,610 new airplanes worth an estimated $550bn over a 20-year period from 2013 to 2032.
It added that 47% of these aircraft are expected to be single aisle while 26% are expected to be medium widebody, 16% to be small widebody, and 10% to be large widebody. Boeing said it supports the view that the Middle East “is a natural conduit” between East and West considering that the aircraft manufacturer works closely with Arab countries “that want to increase their status as crucial hubs for the world’s passengers and cargo.”
“The Middle East represents the largest hub for 747s used by governments and private individuals. In addition, all of the 747-8 VIPs – 38% of all Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) orders, have been placed in this region. Of the 487 business jets (all sizes, both ordered and in service) in the region, more than a quarter are Boeing jets,” the company revealed.
Boeing noted that the Middle East represents the largest combined market for BBJs (31%) and Boeing’s widebody VIP airplanes. Of the 20 orders for the 787 and 747-8 VIP airplanes to date, 11 have been bought by customers in the region.
Similar to the goals of Dimdex, Boeing said it regularly organises events that are designed to engage the region’s finance community.
Since 2006, Boeing has hosted annual airline planning seminars for financiers in the region, and its Middle East financiers and investors conference has become an annual event.
