Boost for Boeing as BA owner backs grounded jet with 200-plane order

Boeing won a major vote of confidence at the Paris Airshow on Tuesday as BA owner IAG signed a letter of intent to buy 200 of its 737 MAX jets that have been grounded since March after two deadly crashes. News of the deal, worth more than $24b at list prices, sent shockwaves round the world’s largest air show which had struggled to find its rhythm amid the 737 MAX crisis and concerns about an economic slowdown. Airbus, the current supplier of IAG’s British Airways and Vueling brands, was stunned by the announcement which came months after it lost a major BA wide-body aircraft order to its US rival. Industry sources said the European company had not been offered a chance to bid. “We have every confidence in Boeing and expect that the aircraft will make a successful return to service in the coming months,” IAG CE Willie Walsh said of the 737 MAX, announcing the first deal for the plane since its grounding. Walsh, a former 737 pilot, said he would have “no hesitation” in boarding the plane and voiced confidence in the changes Boeing has made, having seen them first-hand on a 737 MAX simulator. “I believe the aircraft is safe,” he said.<br/>