The Boeing 787 Dreamliner touched down on British soil on Sunday, tipping its wings to the crowd and building up excitement for Farnborough International Airshow, the industry's premier event.

It was the plane's first international test flight, and it landed in Britain direct from Seattle. The arrival of the blue-and-white 787 after years of delay underlined hopes that the two-year downturn in the aviation and defense industry is nearing a bottom.

More than 1 thousand exhibitors from 38 countries have signed up for Farnborough Airshow. Among likely buyers at the show are Emirates airlines, the largest in the Gulf states and Qatar Airways.