Dubai (AFP)

The European aircraft manufacturer Airbus has signed two major contracts totaling 30 billion dollars (27 billion euros) at the international air show Dubai Airshow, where its American competitor Boeing managed to sell for 1.2 billion ten of its 737 MAX whose Fleet has been grounded since March.

This order from the Turkish airline SunExpress is "the first firm order" of 737 MAX for eight months, Boeing told AFP.

On Monday, Dubai-based Emirates, the largest in the Middle East, announced a firm order of $ 16 billion (14.4 billion euros) for the purchase of 50 Airbus 350-900s.

"I am very proud that the Airbus 350 was chosen by Emirates, which is very good news for Airbus," said its CEO, Guillaume Faury, at the show in Dubai since Sunday.

The contract is specifically for A350-900 aircraft, twin-aisle aircraft that can carry 314 passengers.

According to Emirates, this contract replaces an order made by Emirates in February of 40 A330-900s and 30 A350-900s.

"This is Emirates' long-standing strategy of investing in modern and efficient aircraft, and we are confident in the performance of the A350 XWB," President Sheikh Ahmed bin Said Al-Maktoum told reporters. in a statement issued by the company.

"In addition to our A380s and (Boeing) 777s, the A350s will bring us greater operational flexibility in terms of capacity, reach and deployment," he said.

Emirates' global network, which in early November announced almost tripling its half-year profits, includes more than 158 destinations in 84 countries. Its fleet is made up of 271 large aircraft, including 113 Airbus A380s and 158 Boeing 777s.

- "Important orders" for Airbus -

Owned and based in Sharjah, one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, the low-cost airline Air Arabia has signed a contract for the purchase of 120 Airbus A320s for $ 14 billion (12, 6 billion euros).

"The first delivery is scheduled for 2024," his CEO Adel Al-Ali told reporters.

In a statement, Airbus said Air Arabia had signed "a firm order for 120 Airbus aircraft including 73 A320neo, 27 A321neo and 20 A321XLR".

It is "one of the largest single-aisle orders in the region with Airbus to support our growth plans," Ali said in a statement.

In a statement from Airbus, its commercial director Christian Scherer, hailed "great support for the A320neo family that will allow the company to access new markets."

Air Arabia announced last month a partnership with Etihad, which belongs to the emirate of Abu Dhabi, to create the first low-cost airline based in Abu Dhabi without giving more precision.

The air transport sector is flourishing in the UAE but its companies are experiencing uneven results, with Emirates, Etihad and Air Arabia recording disappointing reports in recent years.

- The Boeing 737 MAX 8 "safe" -

Boeing, meanwhile, has announced a much more modest $ 1.2 billion (one billion euros) deal with Turkish airline SunExpress - a joint venture between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa - for the purchase of ten Boeing 737s. MAX 8.

This is the first time since March that Boeing has received a firm order for this aircraft, although IAG (British Airways, Iberia, Vueling, Aer Lingus) announced in June its "intention" to acquire 200, for 24 billion dollars at list prices.

This model is at the heart of an unprecedented crisis in Boeing's 103-year history. In recent months, a series of information has revealed the extent of the malfunctions in the development of the MAX as in its certification process.

In March, one of these aircraft crashed in Ethiopia, killing 157 people. A few months earlier, in October 2018, a 737 MAX 8 of the Indonesian low-cost airline Lion Air crashed in the Java Sea, killing 189 people on board.

Some 387 aircraft are grounded, and Boeing still hopes to get the green light from the US Aviation Regulatory Agency, the FAA, in January for a return of the 737 MAX in commercial flights.

"We are confident that Boeing will provide us with a safe, reliable and efficient aircraft, but it goes without saying that this requires the undisputed airworthiness of the model, attested by all the relevant authorities," said SunExpress CEO Jens Bischofaux on Monday.

© 2019 AFP