After a four-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this week the Paris Airshow was launched to mark the recovery of the global civil aviation and tourism industry.
The salon is one of the most important events in the aviation industry in the world, taking place every two years at Le Bourget Airport north of Paris, and this year it stars the world's two largest aircraft manufacturers - Boeing and Airbus.
Paris Airshow 2015 ended
Amid strong demand for new passenger planes, Boeing and Airbus chiefs expect record bookings. It is estimated that the number of new planes announced during the salon could reach more than 2,000.
The salon is visited by thousands of aviation, tourism, defense and aeronautics entities from all over the world. Alongside these, the salon is also attracting great interest in the fields of security and military aircraft, against the background of the war in Ukraine - for which the salon is being held this year without a Russian presence. The main interest in the salon is attracted by autonomous planes, in which traditional industries invest huge sums.
Boeing is showcasing its Wisk air taxi, which is supposed to fly passengers from destinations such as airports to nearby cities. This is one of Boeing's ambitious projects that could change the way mass transit over short distances is conducted in the not-too-distant future.
Airbus introduced the A321XLR, its newest narrow-body passenger aircraft with a longer range, at the entrance to the living room. On the other hand, competitor Boeing presented its newest narrow-body aircraft, the 737-10, which is currently in the final stages of licensing.
A revolution in mass transit. Wisk air taxi, photo: Wisk
In terms of wide-body aircraft, Boeing presented its new 777X aircraft, the most advanced of its kind since production of the 747 (Jumbo) was discontinued last year. On the other hand, Airbus introduced the Airbus 330 models and the Airbus 340 series of wide-body aircraft.
EL AL: The Acquisition Journey
El Al executives, headed by CEO Dina Ben-Tal, came to the salon to discuss the company's procurement plan with the heads of Boeing and Airbus, and as far as Ben-Tal's grandiose plan to double the fleet in the coming decade is concerned, Boeing certainly has something to offer. Earlier this week, the Israeli company signed a new lease agreement for two additional Boeing 787 Dreamliners, bringing the number to 19 in El Al's fleet.
In addition to the narrow-body planes, El Al's main interest is, of course, in wide-body planes: the start of flights to destinations such as Tokyo, or even Melbourne, Australia, will require the company to purchase new planes to replace its old Boeing 777s after the retirement of the legendary jumbo jets.
One of the planes that the company is closely examining as an excellent option for its needs is the latest in Boeing's 777 models, the 777X, which performed impressively in the demonstration flyover in the salon, and will allow it to fly quickly and at low costs to New York, Miami, Los Angeles and destinations in the Far East, with at least 350-300 passengers on board.
More and more deals
Boeing proved at the Airshow its dominance in global civil aviation. Its chief executive Dave Calhoun and passenger jet chief executive Stan Deal met with the heads of the world's leading airlines to discuss more and more deals.
Dominance in civil aviation. Boeing's MAX 737, photo: Boeing PR
Among the notable deals already announced during the airshow, those of Indian airlines stood out. Air India, India's national airline, announced that it has completed a huge deal to acquire 470 new Boeing passenger planes, including 220 MAX 737s, 20 787 Dreamliners and ten 777Xs. Alongside this deal, India's Indigo also announced a deal for 500 new aircraft.
The Israeli Point
The Israeli pavilion, established by the Export Institute and SIBAT (the Defense Export Division of the Ministry of Defense), presents dozens of companies from the aerospace and defense sectors, including IAI, Elbit Systems, Rafael, Bluebird and Esot Ashkelon.
Defense Minister Yoav Galant, who arrived with his ministry's Director General Eyal Zamir, congratulated the heads of Israel's aeronautics industries: "Thanks to the innovative developments that these industries are demonstrating, and thanks to their innovation in the field of sustainability, Israel has become a superpower in the fields of aeronautics and defense in recent years."
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