Airbus Snags Chinese Order for 70 Jets; Boeing Takes Indonesian Order for 50

Boeing’s counter announcement on Friday was that it had shipped its first 787-9 Dreamliner to its first European customer, Virgin Atlantic Airways. Boeing’s order book shows a total of 16 787-9s on order from Virgin Atlantic, of which this is the first delivery.

Boeing must have believed that in order to keep up with Airbus for new order announcements it had better announce something besides the delivery of a single plane. Lo and behold, Indonesia’s flag carrier, Garuda Indonesia, and Boeing announced on Sunday that the airline had ordered 50 of Boeing’s 737 MAX 8 passenger jets for a total value of $4.9 billion at list price. The total includes a converted order for four of the current version of the 737-800 and 46 new orders for the 737 MAX 8.

Boeing claims that it has taken orders for 2,295 of the new 737 MAX family of planes that are not scheduled for first delivery until 2017. A 737-800 lists for $91 million and a 737 MAX 8 carries a list price of $104 million.

The order from China is for the current line of A320 planes, not the new A320neo that is scheduled for first delivery late next year. An A320 lists for $94 million while an A320neo lists for $103 million.

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