Airbus in talks with two new A380 clients

Airbus A380

Toulouse Airbus, the world’s biggest commercial aircraft maker, said it’s negotiating with two new potential Middle East customers to sell the A380 superjumbo.

The delivery schedule of the aircraft is a determining factor for the deal, Habib Fekih, Airbus president for the Middle East, said. The company’s commercial customers in the region are Emirates, the world’s largest carrier by international traffic and the biggest operator of the aircraft, Abu Dhabi’s Etihad and Doha-based Qatar Airways.

The Middle East has become the main sales region for the A380, with Emirates having ordered 90 in total and Qatar Air and Etihad a combined 20. Emirates, which already operates 20 of the double-decker aircraft, is marketing its location as a multi-directional hub in Dubai that can connect any two points in the world with an A380 with just one stopover.

The aircraft maker forecasts demand for 50 to 100 aircraft orders from Middle Eastern carriers this year, predominantly for narrow-body aircraft to replace ageing fleets, according to Fekih. This year has “good prospects,” even if it looks quieter in terms of regional orders than 2011, which was an “exceptional year”, he said.

Airlines that need to replace narrow-body planes include, Etihad, Egypt Air and Tunisair, the executive said, adding many A320 fleets have been in operation for 20 years.

Additionally, there could be “top-ups” for five or ten wide-body aircraft from Gulf carriers, though large individual orders are more likely to come from other carriers.

‘Serious negotiations’

“We have Sri Lanka, Pakistan, North Africa, I think Ethiopia, these are the sort of people where there’s very good traffic growth and there’s possibility for orders,” he said.

In total, the manufacturer is in “serious negotiations” with ten regional customers for potential orders of different aircraft sizes, he said.

Saudi Arabian Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal has ordered one A380 as a private jet.

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