Boeing has announced significant new orders for its 787 Dreamliner and 777 double-aisle aircraft from Japan Airlines and Korean Air. On Monday, the company revealed it had secured orders for as many as 80 planes, signaling a robust response to the market challenges it faced after its 737 Max issues in January, when Airbus made inroads with these carriers.
Brad McMullen, Boeing’s sales operations chief, expressed satisfaction with Japan Airlines’ decision to reselect the Dreamliner as part of its fleet modernization strategy. The announcement comes at the start of the Farnborough International Airshow, a key event in the aviation industry. Japan Airlines has ordered 10 Dreamliners, with an option for 10 additional units, while Korean Air has made commitments for twenty 777-9 models and twenty 787-10s, also with the option for 10 more 787-10 planes.
These orders come after Japan Airlines’ purchase of 11 Airbus A321neo jets in March, marking its first acquisition of a single-aisle aircraft from a manufacturer other than Boeing. The A321neo competes with Boeing’s 737 Max, which was undergoing significant challenges during that time.
Similarly, reports indicated that Korean Air had also turned to Airbus for several wide-body jets, a decision viewed as a setback for Boeing’s 777X, which is nearing regulatory approval. Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, expressed gratitude to Korean Air for choosing Boeing’s advanced aircraft to bolster its fleet, underscoring the longstanding relationship over the past 50 years and highlighting the 777X and 787 Dreamliner’s roles in advancing the airline’s sustainability and growth objectives.