Boeing has announced significant aircraft orders from Japan Airlines and Korean Air during the opening day of the Farnborough International Airshow. The planemaker confirmed it secured orders for up to 80 planes, including the 787 Dreamliner and 777 double-aisle aircraft. This move follows a competitive period where Airbus had captured business from these carriers amid the challenges faced by Boeing’s 737 Max.
Boeing’s head of sales operations, Brad McMullen, expressed appreciation for Japan Airlines’ continued partnership and their decision to choose the 787 Dreamliner to update their fleet. Japan Airlines has ordered ten Dreamliners with an option for ten additional units. Meanwhile, Korean Air has committed to purchasing twenty 777-9 models and twenty 787-10 planes, along with an option for ten more of the latter.
The report of these new orders comes after a Reuters article noted Airbus’ sale of 11 A321neo jets to Japan Airlines, marking the airline’s first acquisition of a single-aisle aircraft from a manufacturer other than Boeing. Additionally, Bloomberg highlighted Airbus’s sales of wide-body jets to Korean Air, indicating a shift in purchasing patterns, as Korean Air’s fleet had primarily consisted of Boeing aircraft.
Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, remarked on the selection of Boeing’s aircraft by Korean Air, emphasizing the long-standing relationship between the two and the role of Boeing jets in helping Korean Air meet its sustainability and growth objectives.