Airbus Kicks Off Paris Air Show With Sale To AviLease

Wins up to 50 widebody jets order from Riyadh Air

- REUTERS

Airbus bagged $8 billion in aircraft orders from Saudi Arabia's wealth fund on an opening day of the Paris Airshow clouded by a separate diplomatic dispute over France's decision to shut down four Israeli stands for displaying deadly weapons.

Delegates expect this year's iteration of the world's biggest aviation trade show to see less business than usual, partly due to last week's fatal crash of an Air India Boeing 787 and also because Boeing racked up huge deals during US President Donald Trump's recent tour of the West Asia.

But Airbus looks set to close a series of sales on its home turf, and interest in the defence side of the show is high as Europe ramps up military spending and conflict between Israel and Iran escalates.