Boeing prepares to ignite the Farnborough Air Show

An aerial photo of a Boeing 737 Max 10 parked at King County International Airport – Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, US, June 1, 2022. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson

Farnborough, England, July 17 (Reuters) – Boeing (ban) It will seek to support struggling 737 Max 10 and 777X planes with orders worth more than $15 billion officially from Delta Air Lines and Lufthansa this week, as the airline industry sways in its biggest event since COVID-19.

Industry sources said the US aircraft maker is struggling to control its duopoly of European Airbus (AIR.PA)early on at the Farnborough Air Show, which begins on Monday, after months of talks about the largest 737 with Delta.

Reuters first reported in March that Delta (DAL.N) He was discussing the purchase of the 100 Max 10 and last week it reported that the company was in talks to order about a dozen more Airbus A220s in a deal likely to be announced on Tuesday. Read more

German Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) It is likely to seal a deal for about 10 large Boeing freighters, including seven of the recently launched 777X freighters, sources said.

Neither party has commented ahead of the parade, which continues despite an emergency weather warning and transportation disruptions due to a forecast of record high temperatures.

As Britain melts, airlines will do their best to show civilian demand is sound after the worst downturn in its history. Rising defense spending will also be in focus as industry gathers in the shadow of the war in Ukraine.

Boeing unveiled a largely stable outlook for civilian aircraft on Sunday. Read more

However, many of the deals will be temporary or formal signatures of work already in progress, and nearly all of them will be aggregated as emissions reductions contributions to support a common goal of net zero by 2050, delegates said.

easyJet (EZJ.L) It is set to win shareholder approval for a recent deal for 56 Airbus A320neos, putting it on Farnborough’s radar. Etihad has confirmed an order for seven A350 freighters, although it is unclear if they will be revealed at the show.

A person close to the talks said Poland’s LOT was studying proposals from existing suppliers Boeing and Embraer as well as Airbus and engine companies, but would not make a decision at the show, and denied a report that the company had actually chosen Airbus.

Demand for aircraft peaked in 2016 but remained high until the pandemic paralyzed air transport. Now, travel is picking up, passengers are facing long lines and demand for some planes is back.

However, apart from Delta’s expected MAX purchase, the big ticket orders that have dominated past events are rare as airlines repair balance sheets weakened by COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Airbus and Boeing officials traveled to India ahead of the bid for a potentially massive $50 billion manhunt from Air India’s owner, Tata Group. Sources said the company is considering 200-300 narrow body and 30-70 wide body split between suppliers, but hopes for a large temperature matching order this week are currently on hold.

This means most of the attention will be on the MAX 10 and 777X which Boeing plans to fly in the Farnborough mini-screen.

main headache

Both planes are the source of major headaches as Boeing grapples with regulatory issues in the wake of a two-year safety crisis triggered by the crash of a smaller Max plane.

Boeing has a December deadline to win approval for the 737 Max 10 — the largest member of the single-aisle family — or meet new cockpit alert requirements, unless Congress waives it.

CEO Dave Calhoun said Boeing may have to scrap the 737 Max 10 — a move that could have repercussions across the industry including rival Airbus, which is reluctant to be drawn into a race to develop new planes too soon.

However, Boeing’s chief commercial officer, Stan Deal, told reporters Sunday that canceling the MAX 10, which analysts say is needed to compete with strong sales of the Airbus A321neo, “is not a high-potential path.”

Dell said Boeing is also close to delivering its first 787 in a year after a series of regulatory and production problems.

Space leaders will also come under pressure this week to address concerns about supply chains and rising inflation that are raising questions about both input costs and consumer demand.

Market leader Airbus is currently committed to plans to increase production of the single-aisle A320neo to 75 aircraft per month in 2025 from 50 now, but some suppliers fear that supply chains may not keep pace.

Additional reporting by Tim Hever, David Shepardson, and Paul Sandel; Editing by Mark Potter and Cynthia Osterman

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