Boeing has announced significant orders for its 787 Dreamliner and 777 double-aisle planes, securing contracts for up to 80 aircraft from Japan Airlines and Korean Air. The announcement was made on Monday, indicating that the company is responding to competition from Airbus, which had made inroads with these airlines following issues related to Boeing’s 737 Max.
Boeing’s head of sales operations, Brad McMullen, expressed appreciation for the enduring partnership with Japan Airlines, which has committed to 10 Dreamliners with the possibility of an additional 10. Korean Air has ordered 20 models of the 777-9 and 20 of the 787-10, also with an option for 10 more 787-10s.
This news comes as the Farnborough International Airshow, a significant industry event, kicks off. The context of these orders recalls a report from March where Airbus sold 11 A321neo jets to Japan Airlines, marking the airline’s first purchase of a single-aisle plane from a manufacturer other than Boeing. The A321neo directly competes with the 737 Max, which was dealing with a scandal and production slowdown at that time.
Additionally, reports from Bloomberg noted that Airbus had sold several wide-body jets to Korean Air, which has primarily flown Boeing aircraft. This development was viewed as a challenge to Boeing’s 777X, which has only recently approached regulatory approval.
Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, welcomed Korean Air’s decision, highlighting the importance of Boeing planes to the airline over the past 50 years. She emphasized that the 777X and 787 Dreamliner will be vital in supporting Korean Air’s long-term sustainability and growth objectives.