[Text/Observer Network Xiong Chaoyan] On June 16 local time, the 55th Paris-Le Bourget International Aerospace Exhibition (referred to as the Paris Air Show) opened. As two of the world's leading aircraft manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing could be said to have experienced "two different worlds."
According to reports by the Financial Times, Bloomberg, and others on the same day, on the first day of the Paris Air Show, Airbus secured an order worth up to $17 billion (including options) from a Saudi Arabian customer and also received a major order from Poland, allowing it to take the lead over its competitor Boeing at this exhibition. Following the crash of an India Airlines Boeing 787-8 aircraft last week, Boeing scaled down its participation in the exhibition, with CEO Kelly Ortberg and Commercial Aircraft Division head Stephanie Pope canceling their plans to attend the event.
The Financial Times reported that at such large exhibitions as the Paris Air Show, Airbus and Boeing usually fiercely compete for big orders, but the Indian air disaster cast a shadow over this year's event. Meanwhile, the exhibition is being held against the backdrop of concerns over U.S. tariffs and the worsening of Middle Eastern conflicts. Bloomberg described the situation in its headline as follows: "Airbus Dominates on the First Day of (Paris) Air Show, While Boeing Misses Out on Order Bonanza."
On June 16 local time, during the 55th Paris International Aerospace Exhibition, AviLease CEO Edward Oberon (right) shakes hands with Airbus Chief Commercial Officer Saint Exupery after signing an aircraft procurement agreement. Visual China
Reportedly, on the first day of the Paris Air Show, Airbus first received an order for up to 77 freighters and passenger aircraft from the Saudi Arabian aircraft leasing company AviLease, and then received an order for up to 50 Airbus A350-1000 wide-body passenger aircraft from Riyadh Air. Later in the day, LOT Polish Airlines announced that it would purchase 40 A220 aircraft, with the option to increase the agreement to 84.
AviLease plans to purchase 30 A321 narrow-body passenger aircraft (with 25 options) and 10 A350 freighters (with 12 options) from Airbus, making the total number of aircraft involved up to 77. According to estimates by consulting firm Ishka, after deducting industry standard discounts, the value of this order may approach $8 billion.
Aerospace consultancy Cirium estimates that, excluding options, the total value of these orders is close to $10 billion. Among them, Riyadh Air announced an order for 25 A350-1000 wide-body passenger aircraft (with 25 options), which alone is worth approximately $4.6 billion.
The report mentioned that before these transactions, AviLease had just ordered 30 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft during the visit of the U.S. president to the Gulf States last month.
AviLease CEO Edward O'Byrne stated at the signing press conference, "The competition between the Airbus A350 and the Boeing 777 freighter was extremely fierce, and ultimately the A350 emerged victorious."
AviLease was established in 2022 and is one of the companies supported by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, aiming to transform Saudi Arabia into a global trade, logistics, and tourism hub and reduce dependence on oil. In 2023, AviLease acquired Standard Chartered Bank's aviation leasing business and currently owns 200 owned and managed aircraft, leased to 48 airlines worldwide. Riyadh Air, scheduled to begin operations by the end of this year, has already purchased 60 A321 narrow-body passenger aircraft from Airbus.
Bloomberg reported that these two transaction announcements highlight Saudi Arabia's growing influence in the global aviation market as the country seeks to establish itself in global trade and tourism.
In addition, reaching a deal with Poland allowed Airbus to enter Boeing's traditional advantage market. LOT Polish Airlines stated that it took more than a year to finalize this agreement, gradually phasing out its older Embraer aircraft and newer E2 models to achieve greater fleet uniformity.
The Financial Times cited analyst Sash Tusa of Agency Partners in London, pointing out that both Airbus and Boeing are struggling with persistent supply chain issues, and both aircraft manufacturers are currently in a "sell what you can produce" state.
For example, this means that Airbus needs to prioritize selling wide-body A350 aircraft - because its production cycle is shorter than the best-selling A320 narrow-body series. Airbus faces challenges in increasing A320 production, particularly constrained by engine shortages.
As for Boeing, it also faces many troubles, including multiple fatal accidents that have put the aircraft manufacturer in a crisis.
On the afternoon of June 12 local time, an India Airlines Boeing 787-8 aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from Gujurat in western India and landed in the residential area of Meghani near the airport. Due to planned long-distance flights, the aircraft was fueled extensively, causing explosions and intense fires after the crash.
Netizens' shared photos of the wreckage of the involved aircraft Social Media
India Airlines stated that the crashed aircraft carried 242 people, including 169 Indian citizens, 53 British citizens, 1 Canadian citizen, and 7 Portuguese citizens. Early on the morning of June 13 local time, India Airlines confirmed that all 241 passengers aboard the plane were killed, with only 1 survivor.
In addition to those on board, the aircraft struck a medical school dormitory when it crashed during lunchtime, causing casualties on the ground. Officials from Gujarat's health department stated shortly after the incident that at least 50 people on the ground had been sent to hospitals for treatment. On June 14 local time, Indian police sources stated that the death toll from the Indian air crash had risen from the previously reported 265 to 279.
As one of the two giants that have long monopolized the global passenger aircraft market, Boeing has experienced frequent accidents in recent years, some of which were major disasters. Including the accident in India this time, Boeing aircraft have experienced four air disasters worldwide in the past six years.
At the end of December 2024, a shocking air disaster occurred at the Wuan Airport in South Jeolla Province, Korea: a Jeju Airlines Boeing 737-800 aircraft crashed after failing to land, ran off the runway, and collided with a wall, resulting in the deaths of 179 out of 181 people on board, with only 2 crew members surviving. The preliminary speculation was that the accident was caused by bird strikes leading to the failure of the landing gear deployment.
Before that, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 model had experienced two crashes in October 2018 and March 2019, with a total of 346 deaths in the two accidents. The involved aircraft were newly operational planes. This led to the grounding of the 737 MAX 8 worldwide for nearly two years, severely affecting Boeing's performance.
In addition, Boeing has been embroiled in lengthy legal disputes due to these two accidents. Just last month (May 23), Boeing reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, allowing the company to avoid being classified as a "felony" and assuming criminal liability for the crashes.
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Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7516790829311214117/
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