Dreamliner and A380 deals announced at Paris air show

An Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner at the Paris air show

Total orders on day one of the Paris air show topped $30bn (£19bn) as deals were announced for the troubled 787 Dreamliner and the rival A380 superjumbo.
The world's biggest aircraft lessor, General Electric-owned GECAS, signed an order for 10 Boeing Dreamliners, amid reports that the US aerospace group planned to announce a multibillion-dollar order haul for the jet, which was taken out of service this year following a safety scare.

Doric Asset Finance, a major player in the world of aviation financing, announced an order for 20 Airbus A380s worth $8bn.

"We see how airlines that do not yet have the A380 are interested in it and approach us and ask questions, which shows us that there is pent-up demand for this aircraft," said Mark Lapidus, chief executive of Doric Lease Corp. "If anything, we are perhaps under-ordering the A380."

  It remained unclear whether Doric had already identified the eventual customers to whom it would rent out the planes. Lessors have until now been reluctant to back the A380 because it is highly customised and expensive to convert.

There were also orders worth more than $20bn from lessors and airlines for the smaller 737 Max and A320neo aircraft.

Europe's Airbus has struggled to sell the A380 in the past year, haunted by wing cracks, but has stood by the model, saying urbanisation and airport congestion will drive traffic towards planes that can keep pace with demand for travel between hubs.

Source: Guardian UK