When United Airlines placed the biggest widebody aircraft order in US history at the end of 2022,
it was uncertain if any airlines could commit to anything bigger or better in 2023.
A few carriers have indeed risen to the challenge in the past year, placing massive, blockbuster
orders with both Airbus and Boeing. Even United Airlines makes an appearance this year!
In today’s video, we’ll look at 8 particularly
large orders announced by airlines all around the world. Let’s’ get started!
The first massive order we’ll look at came in February of 2023 and was placed by Air India.
Coming after months of speculation,
Air India announced deals for a total of 470 aircraft split between both Boeing and Airbus.
Broken down by manufacturers, the deals included 250 planes from Airbus and 220 from Boeing.
Looking at the exact models,
the deal was originally stated to have the following aircraft from Airbus:
140 A320neos 70 A321neos
six A350-900s And 34 A350-1000s.
The 220 aircraft from Boeing are as follows: 190 Boeing 737 MAX jets
20 Boeing 787s And 10 of the new 777X.
Alongside the firm orders, Air India secured options for an additional 70
airplanes, including 50 737 MAX and 20 787s.
The order at the time was hailed as the third-largest sale for Boeing of all time
in value, and the second-largest in terms of aircraft numbers.
Much more recently, it was revealed that the airline adjusted its commitment with
Airbus. Reported in early December, Air India re-balanced its widebody order with an equal
split of 20 A350-900s and 20 A350-1000s. The original order saw just six -900s and 34 -1000s.
On the narrowbody side, A320 and A321 numbers were reversed. The airline now
has 140 A321neos and 70 A320neos on order, rather than 140 a320neos and 70 a321neos.
Staying on the Indian subcontinent, budget airline IndiGo placed a record-breaking
order with Airbus at the Paris Air Show in June. The airline ordered 500 Airbus
A320neo family aircraft, making it one of the most significant orders in history.
The huge order was rumored in the days leading up to the show
and eclipsed the record order seen from Air India by about 30 planes.
Adding to its existing backlog of aircraft on order,
IndiGo is expecting about 1000 new jets in the years to come.
Just a few months later, in October, United Airlines revealed its decision
to exercise of 50 of its 100 existing options for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner,
alongside a new firm order for 60 A321neos.
The jets ordered in this announcement are set to be delivered between 2028 and 2031.
Going even further, United announced a decision to add options for more 787 Dreamliners,
to the tune of 50 more widebodies, which can be exercised between 2028 and 2031.
Speaking to media on a teleconference, United
Airlines Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella commented on the order, stating,
“Today's order for an additional 110 aircraft fills out our order book for the latter part of
the decade. We would not normally order jets this far out, but we have confidence in our outlook,
as you can tell. Production lines, which are now regularly plagued by supply chain
disruptions and delivery delays, are also increasingly sold out for the entire decade.
While we maintain flexibility for unknown events as customary, the entire United team
can have confidence and visibility in the airline we're building in the coming years.”
The following month, at the Dubai Airshow, Emirates increased the backlog of its
Boeing 777X aircraft to 205, with the airline ordering 90 more 777X aircraft. The deal also
included a rejig of its Boeing 787 order book, swapping 787-9s for -8s and -10s.
The airline would announce an order for 15 additional A350-900s a few days later.
Throughout the year, it was anticipated that Turkish Airlines would be placing
a significant order to renew and expand its fleet.
While the Dubai Airshow was expected to be the venue for the announcement,
the airline only confirmed its intentions weeks later, in mid-December.
Turkish Airlines' large order consists of 150 Airbus A321neos and 70 widebody A350s.
On the widebody side, the A350 commitment breaks down to 50 -900s,
15 -1000s, and five A350 freighters.
This latest order takes Turkish Airlines’ total order book for Airbus aircraft to 504,
of which 212 are already delivered.
Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee,
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bolat, said in a statement,
“This landmark order is more than an expansion; it’s a testament to our dedication to innovation,
operational excellence, and a sustainable future. The addition of these advanced
Airbus aircraft to our fleet will not only enhance our operational
capabilities but also significantly contribute to our environmental goals.”
The planes are set to be delivered over a ten-year span beginning in 2026.
Just a few days later, on December 19th, Lufthansa announced 80 firm orders and 120
options for Airbus and Boeing narrowbody jets valued at $9 billion at list prices.
To be more specific, the group purchased the following:
40 Airbus A220-300s (with options for 20 more), 40 Boeing 737 MAX 8s (with options for 60 more),
And options for 40 more Airbus A320neos, with no new firm orders for this type.
According to the German carrier, the aircraft will be delivered between 2026 and 2032,
with the A220 being one of the first types delivered.
Lufthansa’s newest subsidiary, City Airlines, will take delivery of the A220-300s,
with the aircraft being utilized on short-haul routes from Frankfurt and Munich Airports.
Previously, Lufthansa Group’s Chief Executive Officer told the group’s employees that it
was looking to acquire up to 80 aircraft for City Airlines, debating between buying the A220 or the
Embraer E2 aircraft families. The upcoming airline is set to begin operations in the summer of 2024.
It’s all rather exciting news for the Lufthansa Group, which will see another one of its member
airlines operate the A220. At present, SWISS is the only carrier in the group to use this
aircraft type. The re-introduction of the Boeing 737 to the Lufthansa Group is also quite notable.
Lufthansa once had a significant fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft. Indeed,
the airline was even the launch customer of the very first 737 in February 1986. In total,
the airline had operated 92 Boeing 737 family jets over the years,
excluding 737s operated by other group carriers, such as Austrian Airlines or Brussels Airlines.
And finally, on December 19th, easyJet firmed up an order for 157 A320neo
family aircraft. The order was initially announced in October 2023, but required
shareholder approval. The deal includes a further 100 options for the same family.
So that’s your summary of the largest aircraft orders placed in 2023.
From the billions and billions of dollars spent and the hundreds of aircraft ordered,
it’s clear that both Airbus AND Boeing and their respective assembly lines
will be kept incredibly busy for the foreseeable future.
So which order are you most excited about? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment down below!
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