Airbus Sees Bottom Of Industry Slump

Leahy said that despite the economic climate "pricing is essentially the same" as last year, denying that he is offering steep discounts to lure cash strapped airlines.

On the fifth day of the show, which opened to the public on Friday and runs through Sunday, Airbus announced another two deals, both memorandums of understanding.

Airbus said Indian airline Paramount Airways agreed to buy 10 A321 planes, each worth $90.3 million at list prices. The deal also includes an option for an additional 10 jets.

And in a last minute deal, inked as Leahy was leaving the show, Turkish Airlines agreed to acquire seven widebody A330s, including five A330-300s and two A330-200s, worth a total of $1.3 billion at list prices.

Still, far fewer deals have been signed than years past, as airlines and governments strapped for cash and credit at the show admired the high-tech hardware but hide their checkbooks.

At the Farnborough International Airshow last year, which alternates with Paris as aviation's biggest gathering, Airbus racked up 247 plane orders worth $38.7 billion at catalog prices, and Boeing landed 197 plane orders worth $23.1 billion.