Dubai blow for Airbus as Boeing wins surprise 787 deal

Boeing has landed a stinging blow to European rival Airbus, signing a “mammoth” deal with Emirates on the first day of the Dubai Air Show. The Dubai-based carrier placed an order for 40 787-10 “Dreamliners”, valued at roughly $15.1bn. Airbus had expected a similar deal with the carrier for its A380, only to see the agreement scuppered by its rival. One analyst quoted by Bloomberg said the US-manufacturer had “scored an absolutely huge victory” with all the talk preceding the show focused on Emirates’ perceived status as the A380’s “biggest fan”. With what Bloomberg described as “scant demand” for the A380, the Franco-German planemaker was “more dependent than ever” on the carrier.