Super-Jumbo Jet Highlights Brisk Business at Air Show

Airlines announced the first orders for Airbus Industrie’s new super-jumbo jet Monday, helping aerospace firms rack up a colossal $27 billion in business at the Farnborough Air Show.

Boeing Co., the world’s largest aerospace firm, alone revealed deals worth more than $12 billion, far ahead of European rival Airbus Industrie, with about $7.3 billion.

But Airbus stole the limelight by registering the first orders for its 555-seat A3XX super-jumbo jet from Air France and Dubai’s Emirates airline.

Airbus, whose double-decker giant will be the largest civil aircraft ever built, is convinced it has the key to 21st century travel, while Boeing argued that the market for a super-jumbo is insufficient.

But Boeing itself had plenty to celebrate, announcing a string of deals at one of the world’s biggest aviation marketplaces.

Manufacturers of regional aircraft, whose business is one of the fastest-growing in the sector, also announced sales exceeding $7 billion.

In an era of growing airport congestion and escalating passenger numbers, Airbus believes it is on to a winner with the A3XX super-jumbo.

First to sign on the dotted line at the air show was Emirates, which said it was committed to buying seven super-jumbos, two of them freighter versions. Emirates also announced options for five more aircraft, Airbus said. Emirates valued the seven planes on order at $1.5 billion.

If development goes ahead, Emirates is scheduled to receive its first super-jumbo in February 2006.

In another piece of good news for Airbus, Air France said it plans to buy 10 of the super-jumbos.

In addition, the U.S. finance company CIT Group Inc. agreed to buy 50 Airbus planes in a deal estimated to be worth $3 billion.

Boeing announced that aircraft lessor GE Capital Aviation Services had agreed to buy 80 of its jetliners in a $5.5-billion deal.

Century City-based International Lease Finance Corp. also said it had committed to order 40 Boeing jetliners.

In the battle for civil aviation supremacy, Airbus outsold Boeing in 1999, but in the first six months of this year the U.S. giant is well ahead, with 322 planes sold to 239 for Airbus.

Competition is equally fierce in the fast-expanding regional jet market between Canada’s Bombardier and Brazil’s Embraer.

Bombardier announced orders for more than $1 billion worth of aircraft and officially launched an 86-seat regional jet.

Embraer announced firm orders worth $500 million for 25 of its new Legacy business jets, which are based on a regional jet it has been selling for some years.