Qatar Airways to have strong presence at airshow

Dubai: Qatar Airways, Doha's flag carrier, plans to make a major announcement at the Dubai Airshow that starts on Sunday, a spokesman for the airline told the Qatar News Agency, or QNA, yesterday.

"Qatar Airways will have a formidable presence at the Dubai Airshow which is the showpiece event on the international aerospace calendar," the spokesman said in comments carried by the QNA.

Plane makers Airbus and Boeing are both expected to rack up sizeable new orders during next week's Dubai Air Show, notably from Gulf airlines.

Gulf carriers like Qatar Airways, Abu Dhabi's Etihad and Dubai-based Emirates have continued to expand aggressively this year by adding new routes as well as increasing the size of their fleets.

Qatar Airways alone has orders worth more than $40 billion (Dh146.9 billion) for more than 200 aircraft, including Boeing 787s, 777s, Airbus A350s, and A380s.