News Backgrounder
Asia-Pacific airlines biggest spenders at Paris Air Show
It was far from the aviation spectacle that had been two years in the planning. The biennial Paris Air show went ahead in mid-June but in the shadow of the fatal Air India 787 crash only a few days earlier casting a shadow over the world’s most important air show.
June 1st 2025
Unsurprisingly, following the fatal crash of an Air India Dreamliner on June 12, Boeing was absent from Paris as was GE Aerospace, the manufacturer of engines that power 787 fleets worldwide. Read More »
In a message to staff, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said he and Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO, Stephanie Pope, were staying [in Seattle] “so we can be with our team and focus on our customer and the investigation”.
At GE Aerospace, an investor day scheduled for June 17 was cancelled as it would have coincided with the air show. GE said it was putting a team together to go India to analyse data from the crashed aircraft. “GE Aerospace’s senior leadership is focused on supporting our customers and the investigation,” a company statement said.
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The Paris Air Show, held every two years in June, is the industry’s largest trade show and a prestigious gathering where many airline orders are announced.
The show did go on, but there were fewer high profile press conferences and in person announcements than in the past.
Boeing did not announce any orders, a recent first for the U.S., so Airbus orders had the trade days all to themselves.
The European OEM signed US$21 billion in aircraft commitments at the show, reinforcing its leading position in global commercial aviation.
At the close of the industry days, it had booked 148 firm orders valued at $14.2 billion and 102 provisional commitments estimated at $6.7 billion, Cirium Ascend estimated.
It is not known if Boeing had order announcements planned for Paris. But it was reported aircraft purchase commitments were delayed to later in the year as a mark of respect for the victims of the Air India crash.
Another first for the show this year was the decision by French authorities to erect black partition walls around Israeli company exhibits displaying offensive weapons systems only hours before the event opened, which Israel condemned as “outrageous”.
Asia-Pacific and the Middle East airlines dominated the announcement schedule. Vietnam’s largest private airline, Vietjet, signed a Memorandum of Understanding for 100 A321neo with the option to acquire another 50 of the type.
It followed the LCC’s order for 20 more A330neo, increasing its commitment to 40 of the wide-bodies. Vietjet operates more than 100 Airbus aircraft.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) finalised an agreement with Airbus to buy 24 A321neo and three A321XLR: 14 A321neo for ANA and 10 A321neo and three A321XLR for its subsidiary, Peach Aviation.
Peach Aviation will be the first Japanese airline to operate the A321XLR, which has the longest range of any single aisle aircraft.
Taiwan’s STARLUX Airlines signed a firm order for ten more A350-1000s, increasing its planned acquisition of the twin aisle to 18. It operates an all-Airbus fleet of 28 A350-900s, A330neo and A321neo aircraft. The Taiwanese airline also has previously ordered a mix of 30 A350F freighters and A350-1000s.
“Expanding our international fleet with additional A350-1000s is a significant step. It reinforces our global presence and enhances connectivity across key markets,” CEO, Glenn Chai, said.
It was speculated AirAsia would announce a major order in Paris, but the LCC group said restructuring remains its priority. Talks involving up to 170 aircraft, including A321XLRs, A220s and Embraer E2 jets, may resume, it said.
Orders from Gulf clients were six A350-900s from EGYTAIR and Riyadh Air’s firm order for 25 A350-1000s. The carrier is Saudi Arabia’s new premium international airline. Its contract includes options for 50 jets.
A note of cheer at the show was the news Airbus had recorded a 40% reduction in component delays starting from early this year.
