Large jets dominated the order books for both Boeing and Airbus on the first day of the Paris Air Show, Bloomberg News has reported.
Airbus won a commitment from Germany’s Doric Asset Finance for 20 A380s worth $8.1 billion at list price. The memorandum of understanding with lessor Doric is the largest single deal that Airbus has won for the biggest passenger plane after orders from Emirates most recently in 2010.
Doric’s commitment brings Airbus’s total closer to a target of 25 A380 orders this year after the company failed to win a single contract in the first five months. The company has 262 firm orders for the plane currently and there are still open production slots in 2015.
Meanwhile, International Lease Finance exercised options to buy 50 Airbus A320neo planes, taking its backlog for the type to 150. The re-engined narrow-body dominated the last Paris show in 2011, which came half a year after the model was introduced. Lufthansa also firmed up a pre-announced order for 100 Airbus narrow-bodies, comprising 70 A320neo and A321neo models and 30 of the current series.
Boeing’s highlight on the first morning was an order from General Electric’s GE Capital Aviation Services leasing division for 10 of the largest Boeing 787 Dreamliners valued at about $2.9 billion. Tokyo-based Skymark Airlines said it has chosen the Boeing 737 MAX to fulfill its future single-aisle needs, making it the first Japanese first airline to do so.
Boeing later announced a deal with Qatar Airways for nine 777-300ER wide-body planes worth as much as $2.8 billion, comprising two firm orders that were already on the books, plus seven commitments.
Emirates President Tim Clark has said he plans to add 30 more A380s beyond the 90 on order. Other airlines have said they are considering the model for their fleets, including Garuda Indonesia and Turkish Airlines.
