Boeing has secured significant orders for its 787 Dreamliner and 777 double-aisle aircraft from Japan Airlines and Korean Air. Announced on Monday, the orders amount to as many as 80 planes, signaling Boeing’s resilience against Airbus after the latter company made inroads with these airlines earlier this year following issues with the 737 Max.
Brad McMullen, Boeing’s head of sales operations, expressed satisfaction with Japan Airlines’ decision to continue its partnership, highlighting the airline’s commitment to modernizing its fleet with 10 ordered Dreamliners and an option for 10 more. Meanwhile, Korean Air has committed to purchasing 20 777-9 models and 20 787-10s, with an option for an additional 10 787-10s.
This development coincides with the opening day of the Farnborough International Airshow, an important trade event in the aviation industry. The context of these new orders is heightened by a Reuters report from March indicating that Japan Airlines had ordered 11 A321neo jets from Airbus, marking a shift as it was the first order for a single-aisle aircraft from a manufacturer other than Boeing. At that time, the A321neo posed competition to the 737 Max, which was embroiled in a major scandal and experiencing production delays.
Additionally, Bloomberg reported earlier that Airbus had sold several wide-body jets to Korean Air, which predominantly operates Boeing aircraft. These moves are seen as a potential rebuff to Boeing’s 777x, which is nearing regulatory approval.
In response to the new orders, Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, expressed gratitude towards Korean Air for selecting Boeing’s wide-body models, emphasizing their historical partnership and the role of Boeing planes in supporting the airline’s sustainability and growth objectives over the past 50 years.