Business & Finance Club Magazine - Transportation Sector - UAE: European commercial aircraft builder Airbus netted deals for 67 aircraft worth a total of $15.3 billion (Dh) at the ILA Berlin Air Show this week.

"The recessionary tide has turned, and our success at this show proves yet again the world airlines' clear preference for the superior aircraft of Airbus," John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer, said yesterday.

He added: "What we have seen at ILA are green shoots of industry recovery. There's more to come as the industry picks up."

By far the biggest contract was a firm order worth $11.5 billion for 32 A380 superjumbos from Dubai-based Emirates.

Airbus also signed memorandums of understanding for another 35 aircraft worth almost $3.8 billion.

Airbus announced two more orders at the Berlin Air Show, bringing its tally for the week to 67 aircraft orders.

The biennial Berlin show does not usually see major orders, with airlines traditionally preferring to make announcements at larger air fairs such as Farnborough in England and Le Bourget in France, which take place on alternate years in July.

At this year's show however, just over a month before Farnborough had opened with a splash on Tuesday as EADS' Airbus unit announced $14 billion (Dh51.4 billion) in new orders, including the record $11 billion (Dh40 billion) A380 order for the Arab world's largest airline.

"Of course I want that (the Berlin Air Show) gets a boost. I was very happy that we could sign the contract with Emirates here in Berlin, in the presence of (German Chancellor Angela) Merkel," Airbus Chief Executive Tom Enders said yesterday at Schoenefeld airport in Germany. Before this year's show, the biggest order ever announced at the Berlin Air Show had been a 3.2 billion euro order for 35 Airbus aircraft by Gulf Air in 2008.