Boeing has announced significant new orders for its 787 Dreamliner and 777 double-aisle aircraft from Japan Airlines and Korean Air. The aircraft manufacturer revealed on Monday that it has secured requests for up to 80 planes, indicating a strong response to competition from Airbus, which had made headway with the two airlines during a challenging period for Boeing.
Brad McMullen, Boeing’s sales operations head, highlighted the importance of the company’s long-standing relationship with Japan Airlines, noting their continued commitment to the 787 Dreamliner as part of their fleet modernization efforts.
This announcement coincided with the opening of the Farnborough International Airshow, a key event in the aviation industry. Japan Airlines has committed to 10 Dreamliners, with the option for an additional 10, while Korean Air has requested 20 units of the 777-9 model and 20 of the 787-10, also with an option for 10 more 787-10s.
The reference to the long-standing partnership serves as a reminder of a March report revealing that Airbus had sold 11 A321neo jets to Japan Airlines, marking their first purchase of single-aisle aircraft from any manufacturer other than Boeing. This comes as the A321neo competes with the Boeing 737 Max, which has faced ongoing issues and production slowdowns.
Additionally, the same period saw Bloomberg report on Airbus’s sale of wide-body jets to Korean Air, which traditionally has a fleet primarily composed of Boeing aircraft. This move was perceived as a challenge to Boeing’s 777X, which is still nearing regulatory approval.
Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, expressed gratitude to Korean Air for choosing Boeing’s widebody aircraft, emphasizing their role in the airline’s capacity expansion and long-term sustainability goals over the past five decades.