Boeing-Airbus: the challenge of orders at the Paris Air Show 2023
The start was with a bang, thanks to IndiGo signing a 500-aircraft maxi-order [...]
The start was with a bang, thanks to the maxi order of IndiGo which Has signed a 500-aircraft maxi-contract to Airbus. But in the first three days of the Paris Air Show 2023, both the European manufacturer and Boieng have collected a flurry of orders for new aircraft; a signal that not only is the recovery in global air traffic a reality, but that fears of delivery slowdowns-due to known problems in the global materials supply chain-are not deterring airlines from investing in fleet renewal.
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India's dominance of orders
To the resounding order from IndiGo - which signed a 500-plane order with Airbus all from the Airbus A320 family (particularly A320neo, A321neo, A321-LR and A321-XLR) - India's competitor Air India responded by confirming an order from 290 aircraft to Boeing and 250 aircraft to Airbus for a total of as many as 540 aircraft.
The Asian carrier's order to Airbus includes 140 A320neo and 70 A321neo single-aisle aircraft, as well as 34 A350-1000 aircraft (those that Qantas will use for the Project Sunrise) and six widebody A350-900s.
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Boeing, on the other hand, will deliver to Air India over the next few years about 190 aircraft 737 Max, 20 787 Dreamliner aircraft, and 10 777X aircraft with an option for an additional 50 737 Max aircraft and 20 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
All Airbus orders
Airbus, in any case, for the time being has clearly beaten Boeing in the amount of orders signed these days. Just the Australian Qantas finalized an incremental order for nine A220-300s, bringing its total portfolio for the single-aisle model to 29 aircraft.
Philippine Airlines, on the other hand, has finalized a firm order purchase agreement for nine A350-1000 long-range aircraft and, like Qantas, aims in the future to operate non-stop services from Manila to North America, including the East Coast of the United States and Canada.
The Mexican airline Volaris - who chose an all-Airbus fleet as the Ita Airways - disclosed an order for 25 A321neo aircraft resulting from a purchase agreement signed in October 2022. The Saudi Arabian low-cost carrier flynas - Who could sign agreements with the newly formed Riyadh Air - signed a firm order with Airbus for 30 new A320neo family aircraft, bringing the total order with Airbus to 120 A320neo aircraft, including 10 A321Xrl.
Finally, Avolon - an international leasing company - signed a memorandum of understanding to order 20 A330neo aircraft, and Air Mauritius confirmed an order for three A350 aircraft. The three latest generation aircraft will bring the A350 fleet of Air Mauritius to a total of seven aircraft. The carrier already operates four A350s and four A330s.
Boeing's orders
As for U.S.-based Boeing, however, orders are more fragmented. The Indian carrier Akasa Air added four more 737-8 aircraft to an earlier order of its own; while the company Air Lease Corporation confirmed the purchase of two B787 Dreamliners. China Airlines - after the historic deal for 16 787-9 aircraft announced last year-signed an order for eight 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
The airline Luxair added, however, four more aircraft to an earlier order for four 737Max-8 aircraft; while the flag carrier Air Algérie, finally, signed an order for eight 737Max-9 aircraft. Also the leasing company, Avolon, closed an order with Boeing for as many as 40 737 Max aircraft.
