Boeing recently announced significant orders for its flagship planes, with Japan Airlines and Korean Air placing orders for up to 80 of its 787 Dreamliner and 777 double-aisle aircraft. This move comes after Airbus made inroads into these carriers amid the fallout from the Boeing 737 Max incidents earlier this year, indicating that Boeing is actively countering the competitive threat.
Brad McMullen, Boeing’s head of sales operations, expressed appreciation for Japan Airlines’ ongoing partnership, highlighting their choice to continue modernizing their fleet with the 787 Dreamliner. Japan Airlines has committed to 10 Dreamliners with an option for an additional 10. Meanwhile, Korean Air has placed an order for twenty 777-9 models and twenty 787-10 aircraft, with the option to add 10 more 787-10s.
This announcement coincides with the opening day of the Farnborough International Airshow, a key event in the aerospace industry. The mention of a “long-standing partnership” is particularly relevant after a Reuters report indicated that Japan Airlines had previously purchased 11 A321neo jets from Airbus, marking a shift as it moved away from ordering only Boeing single-aisle planes.
At the same time, Bloomberg reported that Airbus had also sold several wide-body jets to Korean Air, which primarily operates Boeing aircraft, suggesting a potential shift in allegiance as they awaited regulatory clearance for the 777X.
Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, expressed gratitude that Korean Air has chosen Boeing’s largest and most efficient widebody jets, affirming the airline’s reliance on Boeing over the past 50 years. She stated that the 777X and 787 Dreamliner will play crucial roles in supporting Korean Air’s sustainability and growth objectives.