Airbus and the Indian airline IndiGo announced the signing of the world's biggest aircraft deal during the first day of the 2023 Paris Air Show.

‌The Indian low-cost carrier has ordered 500 planes from the European aircraft manufacturer in a deal worth $55bn.

‌"This is just the beginning, there's more going forward," said IndiGo chief executive Pieter Elbers.

‌The world's biggest international aerospace event began on June 19 at Le Bourget airport just outside Paris, returning after a four-year hiatus.

The event is normally held every two years but was canceled in 2021 due to the pandemic.

‌The aviation sector has recovered from the impact of the coronavirus but the industry still faces a major challenge: reducing its carbon emissions.

‌Battery-powered planes were once the stuff of sci-fi novels but now they are a physical reality.‌ Lilium makes electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft and says renewable-energy powered planes are crucial.

‌"For me when you look into the future, electric vehicles are the best and the only means to really decarbonize in the near-term," said Klaus Roewe, the chief executive at Lilium.

‌There are some 2,500 aerospace industry firms represented here, from countries around the world, including China.

‌"China is a long-established market for us, we've been pretty successful with the 7X a few years ago, our three-engine aircraft," said Vadim Feldzer, the head of communications at Dassault Falcon.

‌"We currently have a fleet of around 30-40 airplanes based in China with a strong footprint."

‌One of the Chinese companies at the show focuses on satellites, providing communications services from orbit.

‌"From our perspective, the Paris Air Show is one of the largest shows in the world," said Jing Zheng, the international marketing manager at Piesat Information Technology Company.

‌"Many leading industries are coming from all over the world to communicate and to introduce or show their strengths in these aerospace industries."

Military hardware

Since the last Paris Air Show, the conflict in Ukraine has begun. There is a lot of military hardware on display, including air-defense systems, missiles, and combat jets.

‌Ukraine has an armed forces delegation on-site – as conversations and negotiations continue over France and other NATO allies increasing their support for the Ukrainian armed forces.

The air industry suffered from a collapse in passenger numbers during the coronavirus crisis but some of the challenges that the sector faced before the pandemic are still here.

‌They include the ongoing drive for carbon neutrality; how to be more environmentally friendly; and developing next-generation aircraft to reduce CO2 emissions and secure a greener future.

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