Airbus and Boeing Battle it Out at Farnborough Airshow

Kevin Rozario

London

July 25, 2024

mod farnborough airbus and flynas sign mou

Airbus and Flynas signing ceremony.

© Airbus

Europe’s aircraft maker Airbus led the way in terms of orders and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) at this year’s biennial Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) in the U.K.

After a slow start in the first two days, versus America’s Boeing, Airbus cranked up deal announcements to move ahead.

Orders from airlines and lessors for jets from the Seattle-based manufacturer came thick and fast early at the UK event. On Monday (22 July) and Tuesday, there were six deal announcements from Boeing.

The big ones were from Macquarie AirFinance (owned by Macquarie Asset Management, PGGM Infrastructure Fund, and Australian Retirement Trust), which placed an order to buy 20 737 MAX Jets; and from Qatar Airways which added another 20 777X aircraft.

The 20 737-8s double Macquarie’s existing 737-8 order book, which it acquired from Alafco Aviation Lease and Finance Co. in 2023. The expansion will enable the lessor to scale up its fleet of new-gen jets to meet demand from its airline customers. This will come amid a significant wave of 737 retirements, said Boeing.

The Qatar Airways deal takes its 777X order book to 94 airplanes. The multi-award-winning Middle Eastern airline has one eye on the future. In relation to this latest deal, its CEO said he wanted his passengers to be “met only with the best products and services available in the industry.” The 777-9, the largest in the family with capacity for 426 passengers in a typical two-class configuration, has, this month, begun certification flight testing.

Other Boeing orders came from National Airlines, Korean Air, Japan Airlines, and Luxair.

mod Farnborough Boeing 737 8

Macquarie AirFinance placed an order to buy 20 737 MAX Jets.

© Boeing

Airbus Paces Itself

Meanwhile, Airbus was on a slower burn at FIA. After a handful of early announcements—among them an MoU with Drukair for five A320neos, a Vietjet $7.4 billion deal for 20 A330-900s, Virgin Atlantic’s seven A330-900s, and Japan Airlines’ 20 A350-900 and 11 A321neos—order news was stepped up.

Thursday (today) was Airbus’s biggest day with announcements from Flynas, Saudi Arabia’s low-cost airline, and from Britain-headquartered Abra Group which has behind-the-scenes control of Latin American carriers Avianca and GOL.

According to Abra’s CEO, Adrian Neuhauser, its MoU with Airbus for five A350-900s will mean “a lower cost per seat than competitor aircraft (and) allow us to strengthen our commitment to make travel more accessible and responsible. This also means better prices for customers with better connectivity between Latin America and Europe.”

Flynas, a long-standing partner of Airbus, signed a huge MoU for 75 A320neo jets and 15 A330-900s to expand the airline’s capacity and range and enhance its overall fleet capabilities across international, domestic and regional routes.

Bander Almohanna, CEO and Managing Director of Flynas said that the A320neo family’s “exceptional” operational performance and environmental benefits would enhance the airline’s long-haul capabilities “supporting our growth plans and Saudi Arabia’s pilgrim program.”

As with all Airbus aircraft, the A330 family can operate with up to 50% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The manufacturer is targeting 2030 when its aircraft will be up to 100% SAF capable.