Aircraft
Boeing Sees Returns from Middle East Investment
In one new, formerly closed market that Boeing has managed to penetrate, Iraqi Airways took delivery of its first 737-800 in August. The airline has committed to thirty 737NGs and ten 787s, although it does not plan to take its first Dreamliner until after 2020.
In one new, formerly closed market that Boeing has managed to penetrate, Iraqi Airways took delivery of its first 737-800 in August. The airline has committed to thirty 737NGs and ten 787s, although it does not plan to take its first Dreamliner until after 2020.

The Middle East has undoubtedly become key market for Boeing and Airbus alike, but the extent to which the two manufacturers enjoy market share in various capacity categories differs dramatically. Airbus, for example, holds a virtually unchallenged lead in the ultra-large-aircraft segment due to Emirates Airline’s installed fleet of nearly 40 A380s. It also leads in the narrowbody market, carrying more than 60 percent of the installed base thanks to the large number of A320-family jets at airlines such as Qatar Airways, Saudi Arabian Airlines and Sharjah-based Air Arabia. Boeing, conversely, accounts for some 54 percent of the installed base of twin widebodied aircraft, located most prominently at Emirates, whose 777 fleet now numbers 130.