Boeing outmanoeuvres Airbus at first Farnborough since Covid

Boeing turned the Frarnborough Airshow into a giant order event

Boeing turned the Frarnborough Airshow into a giant order event

US planemaker Boeing triumphed this week as it scooped up more orders than its European rival Airbus at the first Farnborough Airshow since aviation was ravaged by Covid.

Returning from a four-year absence, Farnborough hosted the sector's biggest players and signaled that the industry's recovery from the pandemic is underway if somewhat bumpy. 

The US titan stole the show on Monday with a blockbuster $13.5-billion deal with US airline Delta for 100 of its MAX-10 aircraft and options for 30 more.

Airbus failed to keep up with the blistering pace; its biggest order was for 56 A320neo single-aisle aircraft worth $6.2 billion from British budget airline EasyJet.

Yet Boeing remains sanguine over its successful showing after recent turmoil, and stressed its focus on safety.

"We always say that the airshow weeks are just one week out of 52 -- and it ends up being the culmination of all the work and getting together and celebrating and announcing and so on, especially after the Covid pandemic and everything we have gone through.

Industry analyst John Strickland said Boeing had made clear progress.

- Starts and stops -

Aviation still faces headwinds from rocketing inflation fuelled by historically high oil prices, higher wages, labour shortages and supply-chain snarls, while airports struggle.

Airbus forecasts the narrow-body aircraft market will return to its pre-pandemic level by 2023, with wide-body reaching this point by 2025.

Aviation has yet to see a boost to wide-body aircraft although analysts remain upbeat.

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury, speaking to AFP at Farnborough, said "the big issue" for the Franco-German group was the delivery of aircraft -- rather than increasing the size of its order book.

"For 2022, the level of orders we will have at Airbus will be good," Faury told AFP.

"However, it is an airshow with a lot of activity, in my view."

Elsewhere, defence was a hot topic at Farnborough as nations bolster their armed forces after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Defence deals are conducted on the sidelines of the event but these are not published like commercial agreements.

mra-dho-rfj/rl

...