The first edition of the French air show "Le Bourget" witnessed aircraft purchase orders worth billions of dollars, providing some support to suppliers as air travel rebounded strongly after a four-year halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Announced orders approached record levels, dominated by two companies, IndiGo and Air India, in India, which represents the fastest-growing market in the world. Economic growth and the rising middle class in India have made it the latest arena for aviation deals worth tens of billions of dollars, although exact prices were not disclosed.
Airbus and Boeing revealed orders for about 1,100 aircraft, with around 830 of those specific to Airbus, including a major deal for 500 aircraft for IndiGo. Christian Scherer, Airbus's Chief Commercial Officer, stated, "This market will fuel many entities in our industry, and we want to be the first to be there for a long time, barring any unforeseen events." However, this was below some market expectations that reached 2,000 orders, which pleased some analysts who observed a lesser tendency for showmanship and more focus on real needs compared to previous exhibitions, from an industry that emerged weakened from a pandemic that nearly caused its collapse.
