It was the best ever show for Airbus which had record breaking orders. In terms of units, it was the best ever and in terms of value, it was the second best.

The jostling between the two big aircraft manufacturers—Airbus and Boeing—is fodder for the media. At Air Shows, the epees are sharpened and the media is sought after in many different ways. The 49th Paris International Air Show at Le Bourget, the granddaddy of all air shows, was no different. Airbus swamped the show with record-breaking orders, while Boeing’s numbers went unnoticed.

Airbus President and CEO Tom Enders and Chief Operating Officer (Customers) John Leahy were beaming from ear-to-ear and even joking about taking a vacation—730 orders with list price of $72.2 billion ( Rs. 3,24,900 crore) at the show, pipping past its 2007 record of 728—Airbus has never had it so good.

“It is the best ever show for Airbus in the numbers sold. In terms of units, it is the best ever and in value terms it is the second best. I would like to particularly emphasise that we got additional 600 orders for A320neo (new engine options) at the show. After this show, our colleagues in Seattle still maintain that the neo is only catching up with their 737 Next-Generation (NG)… I can ask, what are the guys in Seattle smoking? I was myself pretty much amazed that we sold this many aircraft. I didn’t think it would be such a best-seller only six months after its launch,” remarked Enders.

Boeing orders and commitments notched up to 142 airplanes representing 737NG, 767, 777, 787 and 747-8, valued at over $22 billion ( Rs. 99,000 crore). Boeing has been concentrating on wide-body jets, but apparently is not swept by the Airbus narrow-aisle ‘clean sweep’ and Boeing President and CEO of Commercial Planes Jim Albaugh said that the A320neo was now at par with the 737 NG. The orders at the show are a “powerful validation of the demand for Boeing’s fuel-efficient and market-leading products.”

Enders has an answer to that. “The market demand is so strong for fuel-efficient planes…we will be investigating how we can ramp up production from the proposed 42 planes a month beginning next year.” The A320neo, which will be available from 2015, is equipped with Airbus’ Sharklets wing tip devices and the latest generation engines, which together will deliver 15 per cent in fuel savings.

As airline profitability is majorly dependent on the fluctuations of aviation fuel which has been hovering around $100 barrel mark, fuel efficiency will be the single most determining factor when airlines make purchases. Explaining further, Enders said besides the new engine option (CFM International Leap-X or the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G) there was “no other leapfrogging or game-changing technology that would be available until the second half of the next decade.” Considering that and also the growing market appetite for narrow-aisle aircraft, the A320neo has positioned itself well.

With pressure now on Boeing, the American company said by the year-end it would take a ‘momentous decision’ on whether to re-engine the 737 or come out with an all new airplane. Considering the delays to the 787 Dreamliner and the supply-chain issues it has had, analysts point out going for a new engine should be the route it should take.

Albaugh outlined the company’s disciplined process to determine whether to re-engine the 737, which could enter service in the 2017 time frame, or introduce a transformational new airplane by 2020.

“Re-engining the Next-Generation 737 is technically viable and a real option for us. What we are working on now is whether that’s a good enough answer for the next decades in light of the rising cost of fuel and emerging environmental regulations,” Albaugh said. “One thing is certain that we will always provide more value to our customers than our competitors.”

By improving aerodynamics and engines, Albaugh said that Boeing can deliver a new small airplane that’s 20 per cent more fuel-efficient than its predecessor. “When our competitor says that they don’t have the technology for a new small airplane until 2030 or even 2035, we believe them,” Albaugh said. “We do have the technology as a result of developing the breakthrough 787.”

The company also will continue to improve the Next-Generation 737 and reduce fuel burn by an additional two per cent this year. “The 737 is a great airplane, and it will remain the leader in the single-aisle market for years to come,” Albaugh said. “We will compete vigorously for the heart of this market in the future.”

Boeing India President Dinesh Keskar told SP’s Aviation that the year-end decision would be a crucial one, but added that the company had technologies for a new airplane. “Don’t go by what the competition says about technologies not being available till the end of 2030.”