Inside Story

The Farnborough Airshow

Is the aviation industry on the road to recovery?

The aviation industry looks set to take off after a two-year slump – expecting a smooth ride through 2010.
 
Big players in the airline business seemed optimistic as they gathered for the week-long Farnborough Airshow in the UK – with arch-rivals Boeing and Airbus showing off their new models and going head-to-head in the hunt for more business.
 
Many pegged Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner as the star of the show.
 
Claimed to be “greener” than its rivals, the plane has made its international debut at Farnborough. It said to be capable of flying long-haul routes with up to 20 per cent less fuel.

Some massive orders to have already been placed.

Is this a sign of economic recovery? Or could it result in one – at least for the aviation industry? And what are the implications for the global economy?

Joining the programme are Alan Peaford, the editor of Arabian Aerospace, Richard Aboulafia, the vice-president of Teal Group Corporation, and Ben Mutzabaugh, a writer of the “Today in the Sky” blog in the USA Today newspaper.

This episode of Inside Story aired from Monday, July 19, 2010.