Boeing has announced significant orders for its 787 Dreamliner and 777 double-aisle aircraft from Japan Airlines and Korean Air. This announcement, made on Monday, reveals that Boeing has secured commitments for up to 80 planes, signaling the company’s efforts to strengthen its presence after facing competition from Airbus.
Brad McMullen, the head of Boeing’s sales operations, expressed appreciation for the enduring partnership with Japan Airlines, highlighting the airline’s decision to continue modernizing its fleet with the 787 Dreamliner. Japan Airlines has placed an order for 10 Dreamliners, with an option for 10 additional aircraft.
Similarly, Korean Air has ordered twenty 777-9 models and twenty 787-10 planes, also with the option for 10 more 787-10s. This news coincides with the opening day of the Farnborough International Airshow, a significant event in the aviation industry.
This new order comes on the heels of a Reuters report in March indicating that Japan Airlines had purchased 11 A321neo jets from Airbus, marking the first time the airline chose a single-aisle plane from a manufacturer other than Boeing. The A321neo directly competes with the 737 Max, which was embroiled in controversy and experiencing a production slowdown at the time.
Additionally, Bloomberg reported that Airbus had sold multiple wide-body jets to Korean Air, which primarily operates Boeing aircraft. This order was interpreted as a setback for Boeing, particularly for the 777x model, which is nearing regulatory approval.
Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, expressed gratitude to Korean Air for selecting Boeing’s widebody planes, emphasizing their longstanding relationship and commitment to supporting the airline’s goals for growth and sustainability.