Boeing has announced significant orders for its 787 Dreamliner and 777 double-aisle planes, securing commitments for up to 80 aircraft from Japan Airlines and Korean Air. This announcement, made on the first day of the Farnborough International Airshow, indicates Boeing’s intent to rebound after facing competition from Airbus following issues with the 737 Max.
Brad McMullen, Boeing’s head of sales operations, expressed pride in the partnership with Japan Airlines, highlighting their decision to continue investing in the 787 Dreamliner as they enhance their fleet. Japan Airlines placed an order for 10 Dreamliners with an option for an additional 10, while Korean Air ordered 20 models of the 777-9 and 20 of the 787-10, also with the option for 10 more 787-10s.
This development follows reports from earlier this year indicating that both Japanese and Korean carriers had shifted some of their orders to Airbus. In March, Japan Airlines purchased 11 A321neo jets from Airbus, marking a significant shift as it was the first instance of acquiring a single-aisle plane from a manufacturer other than Boeing. Furthermore, reports suggested that Airbus had sold several wide-body jets to Korean Air, a company predominantly featuring Boeing aircraft in its fleet.
Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, welcomed Korean Air’s order, emphasizing the long-standing relationship and the role of Boeing airplanes in the airline’s operations over the last 50 years. She stated that the 777X and 787 Dreamliner will support Korean Air’s sustainability goals and ongoing growth.