Boeing

Today's podcast looks at Iceland's volcanic eruption, Uber's simplified expense reporting, and major aircraft orders.

European carriers announced large orders before wrapping up for the holidays.

It was a good week in Dubai for Boeing. The U.S. planemaker came home with nearly 300 new commitments for its three main passenger jets: the 737 Max, 777X, and 787. That was roughly four-times the haul of competitor Airbus at the air show. But who’s counting?

It’s not over till it’s curtains for the airshow. The second day saw Boeing win orders from two customers, while Airbus scores just one win.

200 aircraft sold, many more to go. That was the takeaway from the Dubai Airshow’s first day. Marquee customers included Dubai’s own Emirates and Flydubai.

The most important airshow in the Middle East will see airlines from the UAE and Saudi Arabia trying to grab the best aircraft delivery slots for their growth plans. Airlines from India will also be there to do business.

United is the latest airline to hedge against expected delays at Airbus and Boeing with a large order for new planes.

Slowdown? Boeing instead sees the boom rolling on — spurred by a growing middle class with high disposable income, coupled with the government’s focus on building additional infrastructure to support air travel and connectivity.

Qantas is ready to diversify its map and serve more U.S. and Asian cities with a new plane order.

Strong travel demand is exacerbating the affect of aircraft shortages for airlines.