Boeing announced significant orders for its 787 Dreamliner and 777 double-aisle aircraft on Monday, securing up to 80 orders from Japan Airlines and Korean Air. This move comes after French competitor Airbus made gains with these carriers in the wake of the issue surrounding Boeing’s 737 Max in January.
Brad McMullen, Boeing’s sales operations head, expressed appreciation for the partnership with Japan Airlines, noting their decision to order 10 Dreamliners with the option for 10 additional planes. Similarly, Korean Air has placed an order for twenty 777-9 models and twenty 787-10 planes, with an option for 10 more 787-10s.
This announcement coincides with the Farnborough International Airshow, a key event for the aerospace industry. The reference to a “long-standing partnership” also highlights a shift observed earlier this year when Japan Airlines ordered 11 A321neo jets from Airbus, marking its first acquisition of a single-aisle aircraft from a manufacturer other than Boeing. During the same period, Airbus reportedly sold several wide-body jets to Korean Air, which has historically relied heavily on Boeing aircraft.
Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, stated that Korean Air’s selection of Boeing’s widebody aircraft will enhance its global network capacity. She emphasized the longstanding role of Boeing airplanes in Korean Air’s operations over the past five decades, and expressed confidence in the 777X and 787 Dreamliner supporting the airline’s sustainability and growth objectives moving forward.