Dubai dogfight

There will be a dogfight between Boeing and Airbus for  orders at the Dubai Airshow, which begins on Sunday.

Billions of dollars worth of deals will be announced by rapidly expanding Gulf carriers benefiting from rising air travel and new hubs in the Middle East: Emirates, the Middle East's largest airline, has been in negotiations for a year with both Airbus and Boeing over a potential order of 100 long-haul planes. It  is expected to choose between Airbus's A350 XWB  and Boeing's B787. The Middle East's largest low-cost carrier, Air Arabia, will also place an order for as many as 50 'narrow-body' planes -- either Boeing 737 aircraft or A320s.

Airbus is securing plenty of commitments for its -- less-profitable -- narrow-body A320 aircraft. However, given Boeing's lead over the A350 and Airbus's continuing troubles with its A380 superjumbo as well as an unfavourable euro-dollar exchange rate, Boeing is still best placed to dominate the key 300-seater airliner market.