The CEO of one the world’s largest airline groups gave Boeing a significant and highly public boost at the Paris Air Show June 18, announcing a tentative deal for 200 MAX 737s.
As the MAX remains grounded, International Airlines Group (IAG) CEO Willie Walsh, whose airlines include British Airways, announced the LOI for MAX 8s and 10s on the second day of the show, stating that Boeing is “a brand I trust.”
Although tentative, it was a stunning deal given the timing and the MAX situation, for which Boeing has not booked a single firm order since the global grounding came into effect in March.
In Paris, Boeing and IAG stood together for a deal that is so far the largest of the show in terms of aircraft numbers.
Also significant, Airbus is currently the sole supplier of narrowbodies to IAG airlines. After making the MAX announcement, Walsh announced an order for Airbus A321XLRs for two other IAG airlines, Aer Lingus and Iberia. Airbus launched the XLR one day earlier with commitments from Air Leasing Corp. and Cebu Pacific.
“We’re partnering with the Boeing brand. I’ve worked with Boeing for years and it’s a brand I trust,” IAG CEO Willie Walsh said. “We have every confidence in Boeing and expect that the aircraft will make a successful return to service in the coming months having received approval from the regulators.”
The order will be split between MAX 8s and 10s and deliveries are planned for between 2023 and 2027. IAG operators will include British Airways and Spanish LCC Vueling.
Other IAG airlines include Aer Lingus, Iberia and Level. Combined, the group flies more than 113 million passengers a year.
The MAX has been grounded since mid-March following two fatal accidents in five months. Boeing is close to finalizing modifications to the aircraft’s flight-control system that is at the center of both accidents—October’s crash of Lion Air flight 610 and March’s crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302. It is not yet clear when the 380-aircraft MAX fleet will fly again…
