Farnborough Games Begin Early
The Farnborough Air Show doesn’t start for another two weeks but the order contest between Airbus and Boeing that often grabs the headlines from the show has already started. In fact, Euronews is reporting that Boeing CEO Ray Conner has emailed employees urging them to claw for every sale possible as the company fights to increase market share.
The Farnborough Air Show doesn't start for another two weeks but the order contest between Airbus and Boeing that often grabs the headlines from the show has already started. In fact, Euronews is reportingthat Boeing CEO Ray Conner has emailed employees urging them to claw for every sale possible as the company fights to increase market share. To that end, it may have pulled off a coup by winning a 30-plane order for 737 MAX airliners from the U.K.'s Monarch Airlines, an order the European press had widely speculated would go to Airbus's A320 NEO. Boeing is also said to be in the final stages of negotiation with Emirates Airlines for a massive 150-aircraft deal for Boeing 777X aircraft. Airbus isn't exactly idle, however.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is visiting China next week and on her to-do list is an announcement about the sale of "several dozen" A320s to one or more Chinese carriers. And at the show itself, Airbus is expected to announce orders for hundreds of airplanes, including the 3,000th order for the new A320. Airbus is also considering a NEO-style revamp of its A330 wide-body, which Virgin Airlines says it might buy.