Order Boon Continues for Boeing at Farnborough

Order announcements continued to pile in during the Farnborough International Airshow this week, with agreements announced from airlines, a lessor, and a cargo carrier for a mix of 30 Boeing 737s, 787s, and 777-8 Freighters on Tuesday. These follow the orders announced on Monday for nearly 150 Boeing airliners.

Among the latest round was a contract from AerCap for 15 additional 787-9 jets, with a substitution option to convert into the larger 787-10. Already the largest lessor owner of the Dreamliner, Dublin-based AerCap will see its fleet of the family grow to about 140 aircraft with the latest order. The company became the first lessor to take delivery of the 787 in 2013.

“The 787 has consistently demonstrated strong operating economics and exceptional performance across a wide range of route networks,” said AerCap CEO Aengus Kelly.

GE Aerospace will supply GEnx-1B engines to power the 15 Dreamliners. The order brings AerCap’s portfolio of GEnx engines to approximately 200 owned and on order.

Also acquiring 787s is Uganda Airlines, which ordered four 787-9s as well as four 737-8s. The contract for the African carrier marks the first it has placed for Boeing aircraft and will support demand for both its regional and international networks.

The 737-8s, which can fly between 160 and 180 passengers in a two-class configuration with a range of up to 3,500 nm, will boost Uganda Airlines’ intra-Africa routes, along with those to the Middle East and India. The 787-9, with a range of up to 8,300 nm, will support longer-haul routes to the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.

“This commitment with Boeing marks a defining step in Uganda Airlines’ growth journey and in our broader ambition to position Entebbe as a strategic aviation hub for the region,” said Uganda Airlines CEO Girma Wake.

Also buying Boeing 737s is Luxembourg national airline Luxair, which converted options for two 737-10s into firm orders and placed options for two more. Once all firm orders are delivered, Luxair’s Boeing 737 fleet will comprise 12 aircraft: eight 737-8s and four 737-10s.

“The Boeing 737-10 provides the additional capacity, operational efficiency and flexibility we need to support future demand while maintaining the high standards of quality, comfort and service our customers expect from Luxair,” said Luxair CEO Gilles Feith.

Meanwhile, MSC Air Cargo purchased five 777-8 Freighters. The previously unidentified order—already on Boeing’s books—marks MSC Air Cargo’s first for the variant. MSC Air Cargo, which operates a fleet of Boeing 777-200 Freighters with destinations across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, becomes the third Europe-based cargo carrier to order the -8 Freighter. CEO Jannie Davel called the model “the right aircraft for the next stage of our growth.”