FARNBOROUGH, England — Boeing received orders from Korean Air for no less than 40 wide-body aircraft, including the not yet certified 777X model, thereby demonstrating the arrogance of the crisis-ridden manufacturer.
The order, announced on the Farnborough Airshow outside London, includes 20 777Xs, the most important in Boeing's business jet lineup, and 20 787-10 Dreamliners, each long-range jets. The airline may increase its order by 10 more Dreamliners, the most important option for that model.
Walter Cho, CEO of Korean Air, said he expects to deliver the primary planes this decade.
The twin-engine 777X is years behind schedule, but earlier this month it began certification flight tests with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a serious milestone.
Boeing customers are battling delays within the delivery of their aircraft. This is partly as a result of supply chain bottlenecks within the aerospace industry brought on by the Covid pandemic, but additionally a security crisis and manufacturing defects. Especially after a door stopper burst on one in every of the smaller and best-selling 737 Max aircraft in the beginning of the yr.
“If I wasn't convinced, I wouldn't have ordered it,” Cho said at a press conference about Korean Air's order. “I know Boeing will get through whatever they're going through right now, and I have full confidence in Boeing.”
The airline, a partner of Delta AirlinesAt the start of the yr, it also ordered the competing Airbus A350-1000, the most important aircraft of this sort.
“Whoever comes first will be our flagship, whoever is on time,” Cho said.
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