Japan Airlines will buy 42 new Boeing and Airbus jets to expand its international network, with the European planemaker winning the larger share of the multibillion dollars worth of orders.
The Tokyo-based airline is purchasing 21 Airbus A350-900 and 10 Boeing 787 widebody jets, it said in a statement Thursday.
Significantly, JAL will also buy 11 A321neos, breaking Boeing¡¯s exclusive hold on the airline as its sole supplier of single-aisle jets amid the U.S. planemaker¡¯s ongoing production troubles and quality issues exposed by a Jan. 5 accident involving an Alaska Airlines 737 Max jet.
The announcement will help Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is set to pay an official visit to the United States next month, where he will be anxious to underscore the merits of bilateral business ties in talks with U.S. President Joe Biden.
With a U.S. election looming, Japan and other U.S. allies are preparing for a potential return to power by Donald Trump, who has been fiercely critical of Japan¡¯s trade surplus with the U.S., its second-largest trading partner. Trump has threatened to impose a 10% universal tariff on all imports if he is reelected.
¡°These new aircraft introductions aim to enhance and expand the capacity of JAL¡¯s international operations, with a primary focus on regions such as North America, Asia and India where future growth is expected,¡± the airline said in its statement. The new planes will be introduced over six years, starting in fiscal 2027.
JAL¡¯s purchase concludes its effort to replace around 50 aging jets, including its Boeing 767s and the remainder of its 737 jets. On top of that, the carrier has sought a replacement for one of its A350s destroyed in a collision at Tokyo¡¯s Haneda International Airport in early January.
The loss of the A350 has caused some supply issues for the airline, Chief Financial Officer Yuji Saito said during an earnings news conference last month. The airline said at the time it expected a revenue loss of around ?2 billion ($13.6 million) due to the accident.
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