Boeing has announced significant orders for its large aircraft, revealing on Monday that Japan Airlines and Korean Air have secured up to 80 orders for the 787 Dreamliner and 777 double-aisle planes. This development follows French rival Airbus’s efforts to capture market share from these airlines during the aftermath of the Boeing 737 Max incident earlier this year.
Brad McMullen, Boeing’s sales operations head, expressed appreciation for the ongoing collaboration with Japan Airlines, stating that the airline has opted for 10 Dreamliners with an additional option for 10 more as part of its fleet modernization plans.
This announcement coincides with the start of the Farnborough International Airshow, a prominent event in the aviation industry. Korean Air has committed to purchasing twenty 777-9 models and twenty 787-10 planes, with a further option for 10 additional 787-10s.
McMullen’s comments reflect a response to Japan Airlines’ previous choice in March to purchase 11 A321neo jets from Airbus, marking its first acquisition of a single-aisle aircraft from a manufacturer other than Boeing. The A321neo competes directly with the 737 Max, amid the ongoing challenges Boeing faced during that period.
Similarly, around the same time, reports indicated that Airbus had also sold several wide-body jets to Korean Air, which predominantly operates a Boeing fleet. This was interpreted as a competitive move against the 777x, which is nearing regulatory approval.
Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, commented on Korean Air’s decision, emphasizing the importance of Boeing aircraft in the airline’s operations over the last 50 years and expressing confidence that the 777X and 787 Dreamliner will help meet the airline’s sustainability and growth objectives.