Etihad Airways signed a $7 billion contract for 36 Airbus jets at Farnborough International on 20 July 2004, giving Airbus a decisive lead over Boeing at the biennial air show. The UAE national carrier had been in operation for less than eight months.
The order covers four A380 superjumbos, four A340-600s, four A340-500s, and 12 A330-200s. Deliveries begin in 2006 for the A330-200s and A340-500s, with the A340-600s and A380s following in 2007. Etihad's chairman said the airline chose Airbus for superior guest experience and fleet growth potential, with the A380 under consideration for routes to China, Asia, and Europe.
Airbus had logged 129 A380 orders before the Etihad deal. The 550-seat superjumbo, due to enter service in 2006, will be the world's largest commercial airliner, surpassing Boeing's 747.
Boeing's headline Farnborough announcement was a $2.96 billion agreement with Emirates covering four 777-300ERs and options on nine more. Airbus, 80 percent owned by European consortium EADS and 20 percent by BAE Systems, had surpassed Boeing in total aircraft deliveries in 2003 for the first time.
On the defence side, France's Thales was named preferred bidder for Britain's Watchkeeper unmanned reconnaissance aircraft program, a contract valued at £800 million, beating a Northrop Grumman-led rival group.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in July 2004, in its own words.