Boeing has recently secured significant orders for its 787 Dreamliner and 777 double-aisle aircraft from Japan Airlines and Korean Air. The announcement, made on Monday, indicates that the manufacturer has received orders for up to 80 planes. This comes after Airbus had made inroads with these airlines following issues surrounding Boeing’s 737 Max earlier in the year, suggesting that Boeing is actively responding to competitive pressures.
Brad McMullen, Boeing’s head of sales operations, expressed the company’s appreciation for its enduring relationship with Japan Airlines, which has opted for 10 Dreamliners with the possibility of acquiring 10 additional units. Meanwhile, Korean Air has placed an order for twenty 777-9 models and twenty 787-10 planes, along with the option for another 10 787-10s.
This development follows a Reuters report from March, noting that Japan Airlines had ordered 11 A321neo jets from Airbus, marking the first time it had chosen a single-aisle aircraft from a manufacturer other than Boeing. The A321neo directly competes with the 737 Max, which was embroiled in controversy and facing production challenges at that time.
Similarly, a Bloomberg report had indicated that Airbus sold several wide-body jets to Korean Air, which primarily operates Boeing aircraft. This order was perceived as a possible slight against the 777X, which is just nearing regulatory approval.
Stephanie Pope, who oversees Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, stated her honor at Korean Air’s decision to select Boeing’s most efficient wide-body planes to enhance its global operations. She emphasized that Boeing’s aircraft have been vital to Korean Air over the past 50 years, and that the 777X and 787 Dreamliner align with the airline’s long-term sustainability and growth goals.