Hawaiian Airlines announced the decision to buy ten Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners for a total of $2.82 billion, with an option for ten more. The Honolulu-based airline also announced cancelling its previous order of six Airbus A330-800neos.
It is a turn in Hawaiian Airlines fleet composition, which was previously dominated by Airbus. Hawaiian flagship fleet is currently composed of 24 A330-200 and should soon be reinforced by an order of 16 A321neos.
Although Airbus lost the battle this time, it is only the first one of many to come. The Asia Pacific market is booming and could soon require from 3500 to 4000 middle market planes to be ordered in the years to come. So far, the Airbus A321neo has been the most convincing aircraft in this segment.
While Boeing is developing its own middle market plane to overcome the A321neo, the American manufacturer is facing a major design problem. According to Domhnal Slattery, CEO of the aircraft leasing firm Avolon, Boeing has two design options: either to prioritize the growing Asian market by creating a plane with a large cargo hold or have a larger and more comfortable cabin, but with reduced cargo – to appeal to the American market, where all three major airlines are about to renew their aging fleets of B757s and B767s.
Source – AeroTime
