AIRCRAFT manufacturing giants Boeing and Airbus Industrie, who along with McDonnell Douglas are slugging it out toe-to-toe in the booming China market, this week moved their battle and their publicity machines to the Middle East.
Both Boeing and Airbus announced at the Dubai Air Show '93 that each was expecting to capture the lion's share of what promises to be a lucrative Middle East market over the next two decades.
Boeing said passenger traffic in the region was expected to double by 2020, and that it hoped to capture 65 per cent of the US$28 billion market for new and replacement aircraft needed to meet the growth.
The first step could be a $6.2 billion order for up to 60 aircraft for the Saudi Arabian flag carrier - Saudia. Negotiations have been going on with the airline for two years and a decision is expected soon.
European consortium Airbus Industrie said at a separate press conference that it hoped to capture at least half of what it saw as a $30 billion market for new airliners in the region over the next 20 years.
Airbus has its new generation A-330 and A-340 airliners at the Dubai show, which has attracted 450 exhibitors from 33 nations.
Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific has just completed schedules for its first Boeing 747-400 freighter, which will be joining the carrier's cargo fleet next June.