Boeing has announced significant orders for its 787 Dreamliner and 777 double-aisle aircraft from Japan Airlines and Korean Air. The planemaker revealed on Monday that it secured commitments for up to 80 planes as it seeks to reclaim market share after facing competition from Airbus, which had made inroads during the fallout from the Boeing 737 Max incident earlier this year.
“We value our long-standing partnership with Japan Airlines and are pleased that they have re-selected the 787 Dreamliner as they continue to modernize their world-class fleet,” stated Brad McMullen, who leads Boeing’s sales operations.
This announcement coincides with the opening day of the Farnborough International Airshow, a key event in the aeronautics industry. Japan Airlines will acquire 10 Dreamliners with an option for an additional 10, while Korean Air has ordered 20 models of the 777-9 and 20 of the 787-10, with an option for 10 more 787-10s.
The mention of a “long-standing partnership” recalls a report from March indicating that Airbus had sold 11 of its A321neo jets to Japan Airlines, marking the first time the airline purchased a single-aisle aircraft from a manufacturer other than Boeing. This occurred amid ongoing issues with the 737 Max and a significant production slowdown.
Internationally, Bloomberg reported that Airbus had also sold several wide-body jets to Korean Air, whose fleet primarily consists of Boeing planes, suggesting that this order was a response to delays in the regulatory process for the 777x model.
Stephanie Pope, the head of Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, expressed gratitude saying, “We are honored Korean Air has selected our largest, most efficient widebody airplanes to add capacity to its global network. Boeing airplanes have played an integral role with Korean Air over the past 50 years, and the 777X and 787 Dreamliner will continue to support the airline’s long-term goals for sustainability and continued growth.”