Japan Airlines to buy 42 new planes from Airbus and Boeing

Japan Airlines Co. will buy 42 new Boeing Co. and Airbus SE jets in a multibillion dollar order to expand its international network, with the European planemaker winning the larger share of the spoils.

The Tokyo-based airline is purchasing 21 Airbus 350-900 and 10 Boeing 787 widebody jets, it said in a statement Thursday. Significantly, JAL will buy 11 A321neos, breaking Boeing’s exclusive hold as the sole single-aisle jet supplier, amid its ongoing production troubles and quality issues exposed by the Jan. 5 accident on 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 US next month, where he will be anxious to underscore the merits of bilateral business ties in talks with President Joe Biden. With a US election looming, Japan and other US allies are preparing for a potential return to power by Donald Trump, who has been fiercely critical of Japan’s trade surplus with its second-largest trading partner, and threatened to impose a 10% universal tariff.

“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,” it said in the 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 the early January collision at Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport.

The Tokyo crash and the loss of the A350 has caused some supply issues for the airline, Chief Financial Officer Yuji Saito said during an earnings press 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.