New orders from Middle East carriers Etihad and FlyDubai for Boeing and Airbus are expected to dominate next week’s Farnborough International Airshow, but rumours were also circulating Friday night that several Indian carriers were preparing to cancel earlier orders.

The mood at the air show, the biggest gathering of the aerospace and defence industry this year, is expected to be more subdued than in recent years, as the industry faces the threat of surging fuel costs and weakening economic growth.