Boeing has announced significant orders for its 787 Dreamliner and 777 double-aisle aircraft from Japan Airlines and Korean Air. The company shared this news on Monday, indicating it secured orders for up to 80 planes. This development follows a period where French competitor Airbus gained traction with these airlines after the troubles surrounding Boeing’s 737 Max.
Brad McMullen, Boeing’s sales operations head, expressed appreciation for the ongoing partnership with Japan Airlines and highlighted their decision to continue modernizing their fleet with the 787 Dreamliner. This announcement coincides with the start of the Farnborough International Airshow, a prominent event in the aviation industry.
Japan Airlines will acquire 10 Dreamliners with an option for 10 more, while Korean Air has ordered twenty 777-9 models and twenty 787-10 planes, along with the option for an additional 10 787-10s.
The mention of a “long-standing partnership” is noteworthy, particularly as it follows reports from March that Airbus sold 11 A321neo jets to Japan Airlines, marking its first purchase of a single-aisle aircraft from a manufacturer other than Boeing. The A321neo has been a competitor to the 737 Max, which was under scrutiny at that time.
Additionally, Bloomberg reported that Airbus had sold wide-body jets to Korean Air, traditionally a Boeing customer, signaling a potential shift in the airline’s purchasing patterns as it awaits regulatory approval for Boeing’s 777x.
Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, stated her honor at Korean Air’s choice of Boeing’s largest widebody planes, reinforcing the longstanding relationship between the two companies and acknowledging the role Boeing aircraft have played in Korean Air’s operations for the past 50 years.