Boeing has announced significant orders for its 787 Dreamliner and 777 double-aisle aircraft from Japan Airlines and Korean Air. The announcement, made on Monday, reveals that the airline has committed to purchasing up to 80 of these planes. This development indicates that Boeing is actively countering the recent encroachments made by French competitor Airbus following the complications arising from the 737 Max earlier this year.
Brad McMullen, Boeing’s sales operations head, expressed satisfaction with Japan Airlines’ choice to remain with the Dreamliner as the airline modernizes its fleet. Japan Airlines will acquire 10 Dreamliners, with an option for 10 additional units. Meanwhile, Korean Air has ordered 20 777-9 models and 20 787-10 planes, also with the option for an additional 10 787-10s.
This partnership highlights Boeing’s previous rivalry with Airbus, particularly after a report in March revealed Japan Airlines’ purchase of 11 A321neo jets from Airbus, marking its first acquisition of a single-aisle aircraft from a manufacturer other than Boeing. At that time, the 737 Max was embroiled in a scandal, and production had slowed significantly.
In a similar vein, news emerged suggesting that Airbus had sold several wide-body jets to Korean Air, which predominantly operates Boeing aircraft. This was interpreted as a potential rejection of the 777X, which has only recently neared regulatory approval.
Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, expressed gratitude to Korean Air for its selection of Boeing’s advanced wide-body aircraft to enhance its global capacity. She noted that Boeing has been a key player in Korean Air’s operations for the past five decades and affirmed that the 777X and 787 Dreamliner will be instrumental in the airline’s sustainability and growth objectives.