This week at the Farnborough Air show, the skies were not the only things buzzing with excitement. The air show turned into a high-stakes shopping spree, with airlines and manufacturers making deals faster than you can say “cleared for take-off.”
Plane Purchases Galore! The air show saw a flurry of orders, with some notable highlights:
- Qatar Airways ordered 20 more Boeing 777-9 aircraft
- Vietjet signed a deal for 20 Airbus A330neo aircraft
- Air Tahiti decided to add four ATR 72-600s to their fleet
- Berniq Airways from Libya ordered six Airbus A320neo aircraft
- Japan Airlines went big with an order for 20 Airbus A350-900s and 11 A321neos
How Do They Buy These Planes?
Now, you might be wondering, how do these airlines actually purchase planes? Is it like walking into a car dealership and saying, “I’ll take one of those, please”? Well, it’s not too far off!
Picture this:
CEOs and airline executives, dressed to impress, walk into a massive showroom filled with shiny aircraft models. They sit down with sales reps from Boeing, Airbus, or other reputable manufacturers, who are ready to pitch their latest and greatest flying machines.
The conversation might go something like this:
Airline CEO: “We need some new planes. What do you have that’s fast, fuel-efficient, and comes with extra legroom?”
Sales Rep: “Well, have I got the deal for you! How about our latest model, the A330neo? It’s sleek, it’s efficient, and every bell and whistle.”
Airline CEO: “Sounds great. We’ll take… hmm, let’s make it 20!”
Sales Rep: “Excellent choice! Would you like those gift-wrapped?”
Of course, the real process involves a lot more paperwork, negotiations, and probably a few rounds of golf. At the end of the day, it’s all about making sure the skies stay busy and the passengers stay happy.
So, next time you see a shiny new plane taking off, just remember, somewhere a CEO is sitting back with a cup of coffee, thinking, “I got a great deal on that one.”
Farnborough Air show 2024 has once again proven that when it comes to buying planes, the sky’s the limit!