Massive Airbus & Boeing Order

Airbus and Boeing have secured a massive new commercial aircraft order from International Airlines Group (IAG).

IAG, as it is known, is home to many major European airlines, such as British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus. The group’s existing backlog will soon include more aircraft.

To strengthen ties between Britain and the United States, new aircraft are being purchased from American planemaker Boeing in a deal worth multiple billions at list price value.

The New Order

The 787 Dreamliner plays a considerable part in the deal from IAG. IAG has purchased 32 of the 787-10 jets that will be deployed with British Airways. In addition to this firm order, purchase options exist for 10 additional 787 jets should IAG wish to activate these.

However, Boeing did not walk away as the sole winner of the new contract. Its rival, Airbus, also experienced purchases for its widebody aircraft, with the A330neo ordered.

IAG confirmed that it will purchase 21 Airbus A330neos, with the A330-900 selected specifically. This will be deployed within three airlines: Aer Lingus, Iberia, and LEVEL.

Moreover, the Airbus portion of the deal includes the purchase rights for an additional 13 of the A330-900s should they similarly wish to be activated later.

The latest purchase follows IAG’s confirmation of a deal that was placed in March but is only being announced now and included other aircraft.

As part of that deal, IAG confirmed an order for six A350-900s destined for Iberia, alongside six A350-1000s and an additional 777X jets for British Airways.

A Win For Boeing & Airbus

Securing these contracts is vital for Airbus and Boeing, especially for the latter, which is experiencing persistent talk of trade tensions alongside supply chain woes.

The last few years have presented challenges, but customers, despite the adversity faced, continue to return for more aircraft as they know the importance of securing jets for the long term.

While there may be short-term struggles, airlines still need to be forward-thinking. Placing these orders now will ensure they have the aircraft they require to remain competitive in the coming decades.

The European space is highly competitive, as seen through IAG’s stronghold. However, it still battles against the Air France-KLM Group and Lufthansa Group, among other emerging threats.

For Airbus and Boeing, adding to their widebody backlogs is a massive step in the right direction as they seek to increase their production step by step and rebuild their relationships with customers after persistent struggles resulted in delivery timelines being blown out longer than they would’ve liked.