Boeing has announced significant orders for its large aircraft, revealing on Monday that it secured commitments for up to 80 of its 787 Dreamliner and 777 double-aisle planes from Japan Airlines and Korean Air. This development follows a period where Airbus gained ground with these airlines as Boeing dealt with the repercussions from a mishap involving its 737 Max.
Brad McMullen, Boeing’s head of sales operations, expressed gratitude for the partnership with Japan Airlines, stating the airline’s decision to choose the 787 Dreamliner for fleet modernization reaffirms their collaboration.
The announcement coincides with the opening of the Farnborough International Airshow, a key event in the aviation industry. Japan Airlines has ordered 10 Dreamliners with options for an additional 10, while Korean Air has ordered a total of 40 aircraft, comprising 20 models of the 777-9 and 20 of the 787-10, with the possibility of adding 10 more 787-10s.
This announcement highlights Boeing’s attempt to reclaim market share after reports earlier this year indicated that Airbus had made inroads into these airlines’ orders. A report from Reuters noted that Japan Airlines purchased 11 A321neo jets from Airbus, marking a break in their long-standing purchases of single-aisle planes solely from Boeing. Concurrently, Korean Air was reported by Bloomberg to have acquired several wide-body jets from Airbus, a move viewed as a slight to Boeing’s 777X model, which is still pending regulatory approval.
Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, expressed pride in Korean Air’s selection of Boeing’s largest and most efficient widebody planes, emphasizing their importance in supporting the airline’s sustainability and growth objectives over the past 50 years.