Large international aerospace industry exhibitions typically see many announcements about new aircraft orders, but this aspect of the Paris Air Show was noticeably more muted this year, at least on the opening day.
Air Lease Corporation announced a 100-aircraft letter of intent comprising 50 A220-300s, 27 of the newly launched A321XLR and 23 baseline A321neos. Virgin Atlantic Airways ordered 14 A330-900s for delivery from 2021 to replace its current A330ceos: eight aircraft from Airbus directly and another six from the lessor Air Lease Corporation.
The lessor GECAS converted ten purchase rights for the Boeing 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter to firm orders, while adding 15 more purchase rights for the type. Embraer announced United Airlines will receive more E-Jets, 20 E175s on firm order plus 19 options, taking to more than 585 the number of the 70 to 76-seat E175 sold by the Brazilian manufacturer to airlines in North America since January 2013.
Day two saw Airbus announce a Memorandum of Understanding with Cebu Pacific for 31 jets (16 A330-900s, ten A321XLRs, five A320neos) and Boeing unveil a purchase agreement with Korean Air Lines for 30 787s (ten of which will be leased from Air Lease Corporation). AirAsia meanwhile converted 253 A320neo orders to larger A321neos.
