The 2019 Paris Airshow held at Le Bourget has proven to be a highly successful show for Airbus, with plenty of commitments from customers of a wide geographic position.
Below is the Airbus order summary for the show.
Qantas
An order that was rather unexpected and not timed to the opening hours of the show, Qantas placed an order for 10 Airbus A321XLRs as well as converting other aircraft on order to the type.
For all the details regarding this order, see the dedicated article below.
International Airlines Group (IAG)
Signing for 14 aircraft with an additional 14 options, International Airlines Group (IAG) was yet another customer to select the A321XLR.
The deal, estimated to be worth $1.8 billion at list prices, will see six aircraft head to Aer Lingus and eight head to Iberia.
AirAsia
Carrying on the tradition to enter with big announcements, AirAsia decided to convert 253 A320neo aircraft on order to the larger A321neo.
Financial conditions for this conversion are unknown, however AirAsia notes the decision reflects the increasing passenger traffic within and around their network,
Saudi Arabian Airlines
Adding to their existing A320neo family order, Saudi Arabian Airlines brought their order to as many as 100 aircraft with 35 additional options.
Within their order, 15 are the A321XLR.
For more information on the AirAsia and Saudi Arabian Airlines announcements, see the dedicated article below.
Cebu Pacific
460 seats in an A330-900? 194 seats in an A320neo? Cebu Pacific thinks so!
Signing a memorandum of understanding for 16 A330-900s, 10 A321XLRs and five A320neos, Cebu Pacific shocked the media when it announced the seating configurations for the aircraft.
With the announcement came the fact that Cebu Pacific would be the first airline to offer 194 seats in a single class layout in an A320neo. To fit 460 seats in the A330-900, Airbus is reportedly working on a new exit configuration.
Middle East Airlines
Ordering four of the Airbus A321XLR jets, Middle East Airlines became the launch customer for this type.
The agreement takes Middle East Airlines cumulative order for Airbus narrow body aircraft to 15 of the A321neo family aircraft, including 11 A321neos and four A321XLRs.
Set to be delivered from 2020, the aircraft will be used to strengthen their network in Africa and Asia.
Virgin Atlantic
Settling rumors leading up to the show, Virgin Atlantic disclosed an order for 14 Airbus A330-900s with options for six more.
The deal, worth up to $4.1 billion, will see Virgin Atlantic undergo an enormous fleet evolution.
Paired with their incoming A350-1000s and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner fleet, Virgin Atlantic will have an average fleet age of 5.4 years.
Air Lease Corporation (ALC)
Air Lease Corporation (ALC) kicked off their show with Airbus by signing a letter of intent for 100 aircraft, comprising of 50 A220-300s, 27 A321XLRs and 23 A321neos.
Worth an estimated $11 billion at list prices, the order comes as great news to Airbus, especially with the A220 included.
China Airlines
Adding to the rapidly increasing A320neo Family backlog, China Airlines signed a memorandum of agreement for 11 A321neos and will take an additional 14 via a lessor.
The deal is estimated to be worth $1.4 billion at list prices.
Accipiter Holdings
Completed in March 2019 and listed as undisclosed; Accipiter Holdings announced an order for 20 A320neo aircraft, valued at $2.2 billion at list prices.
Indigo Partners
Indigo Partners, a private equity firm, agreed to purchase 32 of Airbus’s longest range, single-aisle aircraft, the A321XLR as well as converting 18 more of the A320 family aircraft to this type.
The deal is estimated to be worth $4.5 billion at list prices.
JetBlue
Adding to its enormous Airbus fleet and order backlog; JetBlue pulled a last minute announcement on the audience, placing an order for 10 additional A220-300s and converting 13 existing A321neo orders to the A321XLR.
JetBlue currently operates 193 A320 and A321 aircraft and has orders for 85 A321neos, adding to the previously ordered 60 A220-300s. In April, JetBlue converted 13 A321neo aircraft in its existing order to the LR version.
Flynas
Aiming to fly longer distances, Flynas signed a memorandum of understanding for 10 Airbus A321XLR aircraft and upsized its order for 10 A320neo aircraft to the larger A321neo.
Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC)
The world’s leading regional aircraft lessor, Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC), signed a memorandum of understanding for 20 of the Airbus A220 Family aircraft.
Delta Air Lines
A small order but a significant one, displaying Delta Air Lines confidence and commitment to the A220, the airline placed an order for an additional five A220-100s.
The top-up order takes Delta’s total order for this type to 90 aircraft.
American Airlines
Perhaps the most anticipated order of the 2019 Paris Airshow, American Airlines kicked Boeing where it hurts, ordering 50 Airbus A321XLRs.
Converting 30 existing orders to this type and ordering an additional 20, its unknown what the total value of the order is worth. However with a list price of $142 million per aircraft, we can determine the additional 20 is valued at around $2.84 billion.
Airbuses Performance
Although there was an absence of A350 orders, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer, Christian Scherer, confidently noted towards the end of the show that there will be new business for the aircraft coming very soon.
Regarding the A330neo, seeing some of the orders from the leading airlines was fantastic, especially given the slow sales of the aircraft that has grabbed the attention of media over the last few months.
One aspect that remained was the A330-800 order drought, leading more people to question its use. Despite this, Airbus still markets this type against the 787 Dreamliner.
Looking at the list of orders, it’s fairly clear Airbus dominated the show, but for what reasons?
We start with the A321XLR launch, which convinced some major customers to commit to this type before the backlog fills up any further.
With strengthened landing gear, aerodynamic changes to the wings and additional fuel tanks, the A321XLR boasts a range of 4,700 nautical miles; fulfilling the requirements airlines have been demanding for a while, due to no other aircraft offering this type of performance.
For Boeing, the idea of a competing aircraft is still on the drawing board, with an announcement made at the beginning of the show stating the ‘797’/NMA would not be launched until the business case is studied further.
Adding to Boeing’s woes is the 737 MAX crisis, which forced them into a somber and quiet show.
Stick around for the upcoming Boeing and Embraer order summaries.
If you weren’t paying attention to Sam Chui’s social media, he attended the show, he was there watching some of the flying displays and touring various aircraft.
Check out his video here: