PARIS, May 30: European aircraft manufacturer Airbus got a shot in the arm on Wednesday as the Gulf state of Qatar signed a commitment to buy 80 of its A350 aircraft worth $16bn, the largest contract to date for the plane.
The agreement was signed at the French presidential palace by the head of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker, and Louis Gallois, Airbus chief executive, during a ceremony also attended by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad ben Khalifa al-Thani.
Sarkozy described the deal as “representing a very strong gesture of friendship for France and confidence in its industry,” his spokesman said.—AFP
