Boeing wins $14b wide-body jet order from Singapore Air

Boeing won orders for 39 wide-body aircraft from Singapore Airlines as Southeast Asia’s biggest long-distance carrier upgrades its fleet over the next decade with more fuel-efficient models in an effort to cut costs. The airline agreed to buy 20 777-9s, which are set to debut at the decade’s end, and 19 787-10s, the longest Dreamliner model, for $13.8b at list prices that don’t reflect customary discounts, Singapore Air said Thursday. Deliveries of the jets will start as early as in the financial year ending March 2021, the carrier said, adding it also has options to buy six more of each of the two models. The new deal would provide a critical boost to two high-profile Boeing products amid a tough market for twin-aisle jets. The Chicago-based company has been working hard to land sales of its upgraded 777X family after twice announcing it would cut output of current models. The new aircraft will replace some of Singapore Air’s ageing Boeing planes such as the 777-300ER, while giving the carrier’s low-cost units rights to jets not yet on the market. “Singapore is a deeply respected long-haul carrier, both in terms of brand quality and technical proficiency,” said Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst with Fairfax, Virginia-based Teal Group. “It would be a fantastic endorsement.”<br/>