Boeing has secured significant orders for its major aircraft models, announcing on Monday that Japan Airlines and Korean Air have placed orders for up to 80 of its 787 Dreamliner and 777 double-aisle planes. This development indicates that Boeing is responding to competitive pressures from French rival Airbus, which had made gains with these airlines following challenges related to Boeing’s 737 Max.
Brad McMullen, Boeing’s head of sales operations, expressed appreciation for the enduring relationship with Japan Airlines, highlighting their renewed commitment to the 787 Dreamliner as the airline aims to modernize its fleet.
This announcement coincides with the opening day of the Farnborough International Airshow, a key event in the aviation industry. Japan Airlines is ordering 10 Dreamliners, with the option for an additional 10, while Korean Air has ordered twenty of the 777-9 models and twenty 787-10 planes, with an option for 10 more 787-10s.
The mention of a “long-standing partnership” may reference a Reuters report from March, which revealed Japan Airlines’ acquisition of 11 A321neo jets from Airbus, marking a pivotal moment as it was the first purchase of a single-aisle aircraft from a rival. This situation arose amid ongoing issues for Boeing regarding the 737 Max, which faced significant scrutiny and production challenges at that time.
Additionally, Bloomberg reported that Airbus sold several wide-body jets to Korean Air around the same period, representing a shift in the airline’s predominantly Boeing fleet and signaling a potential setback for the 777x, which has only recently approached regulatory approvals.
Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, stated that Boeing is honored by Korean Air’s selection of its most efficient wide-body airplanes to enhance the airline’s global operations. She emphasized that Boeing aircraft have been essential to Korean Air for the past 50 years, and the 777X and 787 Dreamliner will play a crucial role in supporting the airline’s sustainability and growth objectives moving forward.