Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Airbus and Boeing know this all too well when clinching aircraft orders. But the announcement from Air France-KLM that it intends to order up to ninety Airbus A350s must be tough for Boeing. Once confirmed, the order means another shift away from Boeing toward Airbus for the French-Dutch airline group. Here’s why Air France-KLM selected the A350 over the 787.
Boeing was dealt a similar blow in December 2021, when KLM and leisure airlines Transavia and Transavia France announced an order for 100 A320neos and A321neos plus purchase rights for another sixty. Long-time 737 operators, the airlines will phase out the Boeing narrowbodies over the next seven years. Dutch Transavia is set to welcome the first A321neo in Q4, while Transavia France is also expecting their first A320neo this year. KLM will introduce the first A321neo in 2024.
Active as a journalist since 1987, with a background in newspapers, magazines, and a regional news station, Richard has been covering commercial aviation on a freelance basis since late 2016.
Richard is contributing to AirInsight since December 2018. He also writes for Airliner World, Aviation News, Piloot & Vliegtuig, and Luchtvaartnieuws Magazine. Twitter: @rschuur_aero.
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