Boeing gains at Farnborough Airshow despite industrial and regulatory woes

US plane maker and Qatar Airways finalise deal for 737 Max 10 jets, while Airbus receives order for A320 Neos from Latam Airlines

A Boeing 777X aircraft during a display at the Farnborough International Airshow in the UK. Reuters

Qatar Airways finalised a deal for 25 Boeing 737 Max 10 jets on Thursday at the Farnborough Airshow, where the US plane maker has gained momentum with new and reaffirmed orders this week even as it faces productions delays and regulatory issues.

The deal for Boeing's largest single-aisle aircraft comes after the airline and manufacturer signed a preliminary pact for the jets in Washington in January.

"We are honoured that Qatar Airways has decided to add Boeing's single-aisle family to its fleet, deepening our relationship with [the] airline," said Stan Deal, president and chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

"The 737-10 is ideally suited for Qatar Airways' regional network and will provide the carrier with the most capable, most fuel-efficient airplane in its class."

Boeing paraded a series of deals at the airshow, which runs until July 22, even as it faces production issues on its 787 Dreamliner and years-long delays to its 777X programme.

Luxembourg-based cargo airline Cargolux selected Boeing's 777-8 freighter to replace its fleet of Boeing 747-400 aircraft, the companies said at the airshow.

The statement did not say how many aircraft Cargolux will order.

It is the largest operator of Boeing wide-body freighters in Europe, with a combined total fleet of 30 747-400 and 747-8 freighters, it said.

Meanwhile, Boeing's European rival Airbus secured a deal for 17 of its A321 Neo jets from South America's biggest carrier, Latam Airlines, on Thursday at the airshow.

The A321 Neo is the largest variant of the plane maker's single-aisle family.

The airline also "confirmed to bring in the A32 XLR" model to complement its long haul operations. It was unclear whether the model was part of the order.

"The A321XLR will enable the opening of new routes and will allow Latam to increase its international reach in the region," said Christian Scherer, chief commercial officer and head of Airbus International.

On Wednesday, British low-cost airline EasyJet confirmed a firm order for 56 of Airbus' A320 Neo family aircraft following shareholder approval.

The agreement includes an upsizing of 18 A320 Neos to the larger A321 Neo model.