Summary
- Airbus outshined Boeing at the Farnborough International Airshow, securing more orders than its main rival.
- Meanwhile, aircraft engine manufacturers were active at the event, securing more than 1,000 orders for their products.
- Sustainability-related announcements and developments were also a key part of this year’s Farnborough International Airshow.
Following five days of the Farnborough International Airshow, the curtains have closed, and the trade show, which included plenty of orders and announcements from airlines, aircraft manufacturers, engine makers, and lessors throughout the event, will become part of the industry’s history until it once again returns in 2026.
Airbus beating Boeing
One of the main stories of the event was the orders that were announced by Airbus and Boeing. While the latter began the Farnborough International Airshow with several announcements, the former eventually out-sold Boeing.
In total, Airbus amassed 164 aircraft orders at the event, including memorandums of understanding (MoU). The European manufacturer also secured the largest order of the event, which was also an MoU, when flynas signed a preliminary agreement for 90 aircraft, 75 A320neo and 15 A330-900s, on July 25.
Meanwhile, Boeing had secured 118 commitments for its aircraft, split between 96 firm orders and 22 options. The manufacturer’s largest order came from Korean Air, which ordered 50 aircraft: 20 777X and 30 787-10. However, the airline’s order for the latter aircraft type included ten options.
Photo: Thor Jorgen Udvang | Shutterstock
Other manufacturers with orders at the event included ATR, which secured an order for four ATR 72-600 from Air Tahiti and De Havilland Canada.
The Canadian aircraft manufacturer, which aims to restart production of the DHC Dash 8 Q aircraft family, disclosed that it launched an official refurbishment program for the Q400, securing orders from airlines while also selling new DHC Dash 6 Twin Otters to carriers.
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Engine makers announcing over 1,000 orders for engines
CFM International, GE Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Rolls-Royce have also been active participants at the event, announcing their own orders at the Farnborough International Airshow.
Some, such as CFM International and Pratt & Whitney, disclosed orders that were unrelated to announcements that were made by the aircraft manufacturers at the event, including such cases as the SMBC Aviation Capital order for 44 Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines to power its A320neo family aircraft.
Photo: Rolls-Royce
In some cases, engine makers followed Airbus or Boeing’s announcements, congratulating and/or indicating that the same carriers have also agreed to purchase their engines to power their newly ordered aircraft.
Nevertheless, CFM International, GE Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Rolls-Royce had 352, 296, 608, and 94 engine orders, respectively. However, some of these were presumed since the manufacturers indicated that airlines or lessors made agreements to power a certain number of aircraft that they had ordered.
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Sustainability remains a key topic
Nevertheless, sustainability had played a major part in the event, with aircraft manufacturers, airlines, and lessors using every opportunity to boast about how their new-generation aircraft are more sustainable.
Still, ZeroAvia, a startup manufacturer that has been developing hydrogen-based propulsion systems for commercial aircraft, has announced several developments, including an order from ASL Aviation for 20 (ten firm, ten options) hydrogen-electric engines.
In addition, ZeroAvia and KLM will partner to make a hydrogen-powered demonstration flight a reality, with the two companies aiming to operate the flight between two airports in 2026.
Photo: ZeroAvia
Deutsche Aircraft has also unveiled plenty of news at the event, with the company, which is planning to introduce a new-generation turboprop aircraft, stating that it has begun constructing its first test aircraft, called the TAC 1.
For the full list of articles from the Farnborough International Airshow 2024, you are welcome to visit the Simple Flying directory of the event by clicking here.
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