Dubai Airshow may see fewer orders: Boeing executive

Washington - Conner, who also serves as vice-chairman of the Boeing Company, said the enormous backlog of existing orders may cause some trepidation from airlines when it comes to further acquisitions.

Orders during the Dubai airshow this year may slow down in comparison to the past, given record sales in 2013, according to Raymond L. Conner, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Conner, who also serves as vice-chairman of the Boeing Company, said the enormous backlog of existing orders may cause some trepidation from airlines when it comes to further acquisitions.
"Our backlog right now is 5,700 airplanes. That's a huge backlog, and you're selling so far out," he said. "Sometimes, there will be a little bit of hesitation in the marketplace to buy too far out, given the uncertainties that may exist today."
"Maybe that will put a little bit of a damper on some of the ordering, because it has..been so huge over the course of time," he added. "Some people might take a pause.all in all, it won't be the huge numbers that we've seen before, but hopefully it will be something."
At the last Dubai Airshow in 2013, Boeing's total orders and commitments reached 342 aircraft, valued at $101.5 billion, including 115 777-9X from Emirates and 75 737-MAX aircraft from Flydubai.
"The market still is very solid, and obviously the Middle East is a very, very important region for us, not only from a customer perspective, but we're also starting to expand our supply footprint there," Conner said.
"It's a great time for all of us to be in the aviation industry. It's a competitive situation, but we're very upbeat about the possibilities there. We appreciate our involvement with Middle East customers."
Conner added that Boeing was awaiting approval from the US government to discuss the sale of aircraft to Iran, given the easing of sanctions.
"Right now, we're still waiting on getting the kind of go-ahead from our government to even have those kinds of discussions," he said. "Obviously, we've had a long history in Iran. We had a big presence there for a number of years and we look forward to the opportunity to get back in."
In August, Mohammad Khodakarami, the caretaker director of Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation, was quoted by Iran's state news agency as saying the country would buy 90 Boeing and Airbus airplanes a year once sanctions ease.
"I would anticipate there is going to be a lot of demand. Airplanes will be supplied by us, by Airbus, and from other sources as well," he added. "The first step is to get the go-ahead to go in there."
Marty Bentrott, vice-president of sales for the Middle East, Russia and Central Asia, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said the opening of Iran would not necessarily cause an urgent demand for additional pilots.Such a demand would be gradual.
"Iran has a rich history in terms of aviation and commercial aviation," he said. "They have very good technical competence. They will work hard to develop and train pilots as needed as the market could potentially open up."
- bernd@khaleejtimes.com