Show Comes To An End With Fewer Sales Than In Recent Years

The waning days of the 2008 Farnborough International Airshow brought in new orders for both Airbus and Boeing. While most of these are a far cry from the kinds of numbers we've seen in past years in Farnborough and Paris, both planemakers should still come out of the show with healthy bumps to their respective order books.

On Thursday, Boeing formally announced a deal with Air China for 15 777-300ER airliners and 30 737-800 narrowbodies. The Chinese flag carrier announced its intent to purchase between 45-50 Boeing planes earlier this week.

"These airplanes are the most fuel efficient in their classes," said Kong Dong, Chairman of Air China Limited. "The 777-300ER will be the backbone of our long-haul international fleet and the new 737-800 will support our hub build-up and our company's domestic strategy."

Earlier this week, Boeing also identified the customer for a previously-listed 35-plane 737-800 order. Kuala Lumpur-based Malaysia Airlines also holds options on another 20 frames; its order, placed Tuesday, took Boeing's sales tally for all models of the erstwhile narrowbody past the 8,000 mark.

Another order announcement came from Aircraft Capital Group, which ordered another 15 737-700s to offer to its leasing customers on top of a 17-plane 737 just announced in April. ACG balanced those orders with a new 23-plane deal with Airbus, for unspecified types of its A320 Family of narrowbody aircraft.

Speaking of Airbus, it looks like the European planemaker will leave Farnborough with 247 firm orders, including the 100-plane deal finalized earlier this week with Dubai Aerospace Enterprise. Airbus says it collected $40 billion in new deals at the show, including MOUs from Qatar Airways for four A321s, and Alis of Italy for five A330-200 Freighter aircraft.

In addition to the large DAE order and a 55-plane deal from Etihad, Airbus also took in new firm orders from Aeroflot for five A321s; Asiana for 30 A350 XWBs;  Saudia for eight A330-300s; Synergy Aerospace for 10 A350-800s; and Tunisair for 10 A320s, three A330-200s, and three A350-800s. The planemaker also launched its A320/A321 coverted freighter program, with a contract for 30 converted frames for Netherlands-based aircraft lessor AerCap.

Boeing ran a distant second to Airbus in the orders tally, with 197 net orders worth just over $23 billion list.

FMI: www.boeing.com, www.airbus.com