Boeing has announced significant orders for its 787 Dreamliner and 777 double-aisle airplanes from Japan Airlines and Korean Air. The aircraft manufacturer revealed on Monday its acquisition of orders for up to 80 planes, signaling its resilience following market challenges posed by its competitor, Airbus. The orders come shortly after Airbus captured attention by securing deals with these airlines during earlier troubles stemming from the Boeing 737 Max.
Brad McMullen, Boeing’s head of sales operations, expressed gratitude for Japan Airlines’ continued partnership, noting their choice to re-select the 787 Dreamliner as part of their fleet modernization efforts.
These announcements were made on the first day of the Farnborough International Airshow, a vital event in the aerospace industry. Japan Airlines confirmed an order for 10 Dreamliners, with an option to acquire an additional 10. Meanwhile, Korean Air has ordered twenty 777-9 models and twenty 787-10 planes, also with an option for 10 more 787-10 aircraft.
The mention of a “long-standing partnership” reminds one of a previous Reuters report from March, which noted that Airbus had sold 11 A321neo jets to Japan Airlines, marking the airline’s first venture into purchasing single-aisle planes from anyone other than Boeing. This occurred amidst significant production challenges Boeing was facing due to issues with the 737 Max.
Additionally, Bloomberg highlighted similar developments regarding Korean Air, noting that Airbus also sold several wide-body jets to the airline. This transaction appeared to be a response to the delays surrounding the 777x, which has only recently approached regulatory approval.
Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, commented, “We are honored Korean Air has selected our largest, most efficient widebody airplanes to add capacity to its global network.” She emphasized the historical significance of Boeing aircraft in Korean Air’s operations over the past five decades and reiterated the importance of the 777X and 787 Dreamliner in supporting the airline’s sustainability and growth objectives.