With the big Farnborough Airshow just a few days away, Airbus (left) and Boeing (right) are preparing to show off their newest jets and announce key deals.The two rivals like to use the show as a launching pad for new products and for multi-jet deals that make headlines.
- Airbus is considering whether to introduce its A330neo, an updated version of the popular and efficient 330 passenger jet used by more than 100 carriers worldwide. The updated A330 would have a new engine and other upgrades. This new 330 could help Airbus take advantage of Boeing's problems with its 787 Dreamliner. Airbus currently manufactures 10 A330s per month, and already has 1,086 in operation by carriers around the world.
- Boeing is promoting its new stretch 787 Dreamliner and looking for more orders. However, like Airbus, Boeing has a large backlog of orders--an enviable situation on the one hand, because it means future revenue, but a challenge on the other hand because of the need to accelerate production to meet demand. Just in time for Farnborough, Boeing has released its latest long-range demand forecast. The company projects global aircraft demand will result in the sale of nearly 37,000 new planes over the next two decades.
