FIA20204: Farnborough Airshow Day 1 Roundup

FARNBOROUGH —The 2024 Farnborough Air Show started in earnest today hitting the ground running under a blanket of low clouds. This is one of the most critical weeks in the aviation calendar, with the industry’s latest and greatest on display for all to see.

As always, the Airways team is in attendance to bring you the latest developments from Farnborough. Here's a recap of what transpired on Day 1 of FIA2024.

Boeing

Boeing reported the first orders of the day, with the first ones coming from National Airlines (N8). The order for four Boeing 777Fs, with deliveries stretching from 2025 to 2026, stands at just over US$1.4 billion at list price.

Later, Boeing again took center stage with an order from Korean Air (KE). The Seoul-based airline ordered 40 Boeing wide-bodies, consisting of 20 777-9Xs and 20 787-10 Dreamliners. 

The flag carrier of South Korea commented on the new fleet diversity with the imminent introduction of the Airbus A350 into service, outlining that there should be no overlap as the aircraft serve different mission profiles.

Moving to Europe, Luxair (LG) placed an order with Boeing for four 737-10s for the first time. The airline already operates an extensive 737 fleet, comprising both the 737NG (-700 and 800 variants) and the 737 MAX. The current fleet consists of two 737-8s, with another four on order and four long-awaited 737-7s.

Boeing scored another wide-body order with Japan Airlines (JL), selecting ten additional 787-9s and ten additional options the manufacturer will deliver between 2028 and 2031. This further deepening of the relationship between the two companies signifies a partial fleet renewal for JL and is the latest in a long line of new aircraft to join them.

Bombardier

De Havilland Canada/ DHC also reported a successful first day at the Farnborough, gaining two three refurbishment orders and one Quick Change/ QC order for their Dash-8 Q400 product.

The first came as a single order from the Tanzania Government Flight Agency for a Certified Refurbished Q400 to add to its fleet. De Havilland offers a Certified Refurbished product, which is an in-house refresh of second-hand Q400s that can be resold to customers. The second and third orders were from Widerøe (WF). of Norway and Skyward Express (OW) of Kenya, with them taking two and one aircraft, respectively.

DHC’s QC order came from Advantage Air Travel, also of Kenya. The Q400 QC allows for a quick change from a passenger to a cargo configuration, significantly increasing the aircraft’s flexibility and allowing airlines to provide more services with the same aircraft.

Airbus

Airbus failed to gain much traction on the first day of the Farnborough Air Show. The only airline interest the company got was from the Bhutanese airline Drukair (KB), which signed a Memorandum of Understanding/ MoU for three A320NEOs and, interestingly, two newly certified A321XLRs. 

In addition to the XLR’s being the largest aircraft to fly to the country’s main airport, Paro signifies any Bhutanese airline's first truly extended haul capability. There is no word on how KB intends to use these aircraft as and when they are delivered.

General Electric

Engine provider General Electric announced multiple orders in conjunction with aircraft orders from the many Boeing customers of the day. However, they also received an extraordinary order from IAG for 12 GEnx-1B engines, which will power six yet-to-be-delivered Boeing 787s. 

This GE Aerospace caught many off guard as British Airways (BA) has firmly placed its propulsion needs in the hands of Rolls Royce for a while now. Whether this signifies a more permanent switch to General Electric in the future is unknown.

Bottom Line

Day one at the 2024 Farnborough Air Show ended with Boeing as a clear victor, highlighting that airlines still have confidence in their products. But the week still has plenty of time to run. Will Airbus catch up with Boeing’s early lead?

FIA2024 LIVE COVERAGE

The 2024 Farnborough Airshow takes place July 22-26, so stay tuned to Airways for our live coverage of FIA2024 from the Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre in the UK.

Be sure to follow us for live updates on all our social media channels #FIA2024.