Qatar Air pulls in orders

Abu Dhabi: Qatar Airways Limiteds Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker is giving the competition a word of caution from the airlines flight deck: belt up.According to a report by Bloomberg, the carrier and larger competitor Emirates ruled the Dubai Air show this week, signing firm orders valued at more than $24bn. Their fleets have ballooned in recent years as the carriers funnel global travelers through the Middle East. Emirates closed the single largest deal in Boeing Co. (BA)s history, announcing 50 firm orders for the 777-300ER aircraft.Some of this may be speculative, but they seem determined to convert oil wells into aviation market share, said Richard Aboulafia, vice-president of analysis at Teal Group.The airlines have helped transform the Middle East into an omni-directional center from where travelers can connect most points on the globe with a single stop. Emirates is the biggest buyer of Airbus SAS A380 super jumbos and the Boeing 777, as it works to accommodate passenger numbers that have surged fivefold in a decade.Emirates ordered aircraft that accommodate 18,000 people in total and Qatar ordered planes that seat 10,000. Combined, thats more than half the number of people who travel through Frankfurt airport each year.Founded in 1985, Emirates developed an inter-continental network from 1996, when long-range Boeing 777s and Airbus A340s allowed it to reach new cities and meet the global aspirations of Dubais rulers. Qatar Airways was created in 1994, and is half owned by the government of Qatar.
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