Rival airframers Boeing and Airbus have both secured deals on day 1 of the Farnborough International Airshow.
For Seattle-based Boeing, day one included an order from Qatar Airways for five Boeing 777 Freighters worth around $1.7bn at list prices. This was backed up with an order for 30 Boeing 737 Max aircraft from lessor Jackson Square Aviation. The Max deal is valued at $3.5bn.
Goshawk Aviation and GOL also signed orders of the 737 Max, with 20 and 45 being ordered respectively.
Airbus saw an A350 order from Taiwanese startup Starlux airlines. The order consists of twelve of the -1000 model and five of the -900 model. All 17 aircraft will be powered by the UK produced Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines and fly with wings made in North Wales.
Brazilian manufacturer Embraer was also signing orders today when it finalised a deal to supply United Airlines with 25 E175 regional jets.
Speaking about the Boeing deal Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker said he was “delighted to be further enhancing our cargo fleet and adding five Boeing 777 Freighter aircraft,” adding “In the past 15 years, Qatar Airways Cargo has grown steadily and globally, becoming the third largest in the world. We could not have achieved this success without our resilient relationship with Boeing.”
Starlux chairman K.W Chang said he was impressed by the A350’s performance saying: “As a pilot myself, I personally experienced the test-flight of the A350-1000. Its outstanding performance really amazed me. The A350XWB is indeed one-of-a-kind in the current market, and perfectly suited for such a geographic location as Taiwan,”
Gerry Laderman, United’s Senior Vice President of Finance and Acting Chief Financial Officer said: “These aircraft will be a terrific addition to our fleet, and we are excited to begin taking delivery of the aircraft early next year.” about the Embraer deal.
