Stakes high at Farnborough air show as Airbus chases A350 orders
Airbus needs to trumpet sales for new A350 at Farnborough after losing big order, and F-35 fighter jet eagerly awaited, though it may not appear
A lot is at stake at Britain's Farnborough International Air Show, the aviation industry's biggest event, which opens today.
The biennial trade show is expected to showcase new commercial aircraft as well as a host of new technological advances that promise to give a glimpse of the future of flying. But the first presentation of the world's most advanced fighter jet is in doubt.
Held just outside London, the show features 1,500 exhibitors from 40 countries and some 100,000 industry representatives. Manufacturers who attend find their closest comrades - and their most bitter competitors. Aviation giants Boeing and Airbus are expected to announce a string of new orders in their annual race for the title of the world's biggest plane maker.
Above all, there are two planes that aviation experts want to see at Farnborough - the F-35 Lightning II fighter and the Airbus A350 - two feats of engineering that offer a contrast in the world of the skies.
The wide-body A350 has various configurations designed to seat 250 to 400 passengers and compete with a variety of Boeing aircraft. Airbus says this is the first commercial aircraft built mainly from "advanced materials", which will make it 25 per cent more fuel efficient than existing planes. It's also supposed to be very quiet and offer more room for passengers.
Airbus is under pressure to give it a good showing and announce some new sales after Dubai-based airline Emirates cancelled a huge order for 70 of them last month. Qatar Airways, launch-customer of the A350, plans to unveil its plane's interior at the show.