Boeing has announced significant orders for its 787 Dreamliner and 777 double-aisle aircraft from Japan Airlines and Korean Air. On Monday, the company stated it has secured orders for up to 80 of these aircraft, demonstrating its resilience after facing competition from Airbus during the fallout from the Boeing 737 Max incidents earlier this year.
Brad McMullen, Boeing’s sales operations head, expressed satisfaction with Japan Airlines’ decision to continue investing in the 787 Dreamliner as they modernize their fleet. The announcement coincided with the opening of the Farnborough International Airshow, a key event in the aviation industry. Japan Airlines has ordered 10 Dreamliners, with the option to acquire 10 more. Meanwhile, Korean Air has placed an order for 20 777-9 models and 20 787-10 planes, also with the option for an additional 10 787-10s.
This partnership comes in light of previous orders reported by Airbus, which included the sale of 11 A321neo jets to Japan Airlines—marking the first time the airline had purchased a single-aisle aircraft from a manufacturer other than Boeing. Additionally, reports indicated that Airbus had sold several wide-body jets to Korean Air, which predominantly features Boeing aircraft in its fleet.
Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, expressed gratitude to Korean Air for selecting Boeing’s most efficient wide-body planes. She emphasized that Boeing aircraft have been vital to Korean Air for the past 50 years and that the 777X and 787 Dreamliner will further aid the airline’s sustainability and growth objectives.