Boeing has announced significant orders for its large aircraft, revealing on Monday that it has secured commitments for up to 80 units of its 787 Dreamliner and 777 double-aisle planes from Japan Airlines and Korean Air. This move comes after Airbus made inroads with these carriers earlier this year following the challenges Boeing faced with its 737 Max model.
Brad McMullen, Boeing’s sales operations head, expressed appreciation for the company’s enduring collaboration with Japan Airlines, noting their decision to continue using the 787 Dreamliner as they modernize their fleet.
This announcement coincides with the opening of the Farnborough International Airshow, a key event in the aviation industry. Japan Airlines will acquire 10 Dreamliners with an option for an additional 10, while Korean Air has committed to 20 777-9 aircraft and 20 787-10 planes, with an option to buy 10 more 787-10s.
McMullen’s remarks reference a Reuters report from March, which noted that Japan Airlines had purchased 11 A321neo jets from Airbus, marking the first instance of the airline opting for a single-aisle plane from a manufacturer other than Boeing. This order was seen as a competitive move against Boeing’s 737 Max, which was grappling with controversy and production issues at the time.
Similarly, Bloomberg reported that Airbus had supplied several wide-body jets to Korean Air, which predominantly operates Boeing aircraft. This order was perceived as a direct challenge to Boeing’s 777X, which is nearing regulatory approval.
Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, praised Korean Air’s selection of Boeing’s largest and most efficient widebody jets to enhance its global network capacity. She emphasized the integral role of Boeing aircraft in Korean Air’s operations over the past 50 years, asserting that the 777X and 787 Dreamliner will play vital roles in the airline’s long-term sustainability and growth objectives.