The third day of the Paris Air Show witnessed freshly signed agreements from regional and international aviation players. The fresh signatures include new build acquisitions and route announcements.

#1- More Airbus jets for EgyptAir: Egypt’s flagship carrier EgyptAir has tapped Airbus for six new A350-900 aircraft — bringing its total orderbook with the manufacturer to 16 jets of this model-type, according to a statement. The carrier plans to integrate the new order “to meet rising demand for long-haul travel [and] support our network expansion plans over the next five years,” CEO Ahmed Adel said. The airline had inked an agreement to uptake 10 Airbus 4350-900 carriers from the manufacturer last month, and is slated to boost its 70-aircraft fleet and cap carbon emissions through the move — with onboarded aircraft models designed to consume up to 25% less fuel than traditional carriers.

The airline is currently waiting to receive the first batch of 18 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which the company purchased in 2023 on lease and are scheduled for delivery this year or the next.

#2- Cluster2 taps Airbus to boost airport field operations: Saudi airport operator Cluster2 Airports Company has inked an MoU with Airbus to integrate advanced start tech to streamline airport field operations in Saudi Arabia, SPA reports. Cluster2 plans to introduce this platform to increase operational efficiency, boost passenger experience, and smooth workflows across Saudi’s network of 22 international and domestic airports. The project will be led by Airbus’s AgnetTurnaround platform — designed to enable real-time coordination of airport field activities — including ground teams, security personnel, and control room operators.

ALSO FROM SAUDI ARABIA- 100 skies for Riyadh Air by 2030: PIF-backed Riyadh Air is planning to serve 100 cities by 2030 — aiming to add a destination every two months once it’s operational, CEO Tony Douglas told Bloomberg. The carrier has snapped up the necessary landing slots for its first destinations, Douglas added, and is set to announce its first route and ticket salemechanism in the upcoming months.

#3- Asia’s largest budget carrier AirAsia is in talks with Airbus to acquire 50-70 A321 jets over the next one to three months, CEO Tony Fernandes told Reuters. The Malaysia-based airline also plans to tap either Airbus or Embraer for some 100 smaller model jets.

The new order could solidify Saudi interest: A key draw for PIF’s interest to invest USD 100 mn in AirAsia back in March was its backlog of over 350 Airbus narrowbody aircraft. PIF’s Riyadh Air secured part of these delivery slots — easing the Malaysian airline’s financing burdens while providing Riyadh Air with planes needed for its 3Q2025 launch. Riyadh Air chose the slots instead of purchasing 100 Boeing 737 jets.

Tags: