Boeing has announced significant orders for its 787 Dreamliner and 777 double-aisle aircraft. The company revealed on Monday that it secured commitments for up to 80 planes from Japan Airlines and Korean Air. This comes in response to recent advances made by French competitor Airbus, which had begun securing orders from these carriers after the fallout from Boeing’s 737 Max incident earlier this year.
Brad McMullen, Boeing’s head of sales operations, commented on the partnership with Japan Airlines, expressing satisfaction that they have chosen the 787 Dreamliner to modernize their fleet.
The announcement coincides with the opening of the Farnborough International Airshow, a prominent industry event. Japan Airlines has placed an order for 10 Dreamliners, with an option for 10 additional aircraft. Meanwhile, Korean Air is ordering twenty 777-9 models and twenty 787-10 planes, along with an option for 10 more 787-10s.
This situation underscores Boeing’s commitment to maintaining strong relationships with its airline partners, especially following a report indicating that Airbus had sold 11 A321neo jets to Japan Airlines, marking a departure from Boeing for single-aisle orders. Additionally, reports indicated that Airbus had secured orders for wide-body jets from Korean Air, historically a Boeing customer, which suggested a potential departure from the 777x model.
Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, highlighted the significance of the orders from Korean Air, stating that Boeing’s aircraft have been vital to the airline for the last 50 years and that the 777X and 787 Dreamliner will support its ongoing sustainability and growth objectives.