Airbus, Boeing win fresh deals with Asian carriers despite supply woes

Airbus and Boeing are snapping up fresh orders from Asian airlines at the Singapore Airshow this week, even as concerns over the planemakers' struggles to ramp up production loom large at the region's largest aviation expo. Airbus and Boeing have been plagued by delivery delays due to supply chain turbulence at a time when many global airlines are rushing to bolster their fleets, with some industry players expecting the disruption to last a few more years. Boeing is also facing a series of serious safety and quality control issues following a cabin panel blowout on one of its aircraft last month. On Wednesday, Taiwan's Starlux Airlines announced it had placed a firm order with Airbus for five A350 freighters and three A330neo wide-body passenger jets, in which the latter will be delivered across 2025 and 2026. That marks the first time Starlux has ordered its own freighter jets. Launched in 2020, Starlux is the island's newest full-service airline, competing against long-established carriers such as China Airlines and Eva Airways. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Starlux Chairman Chang Kuo-wei said the company is looking to take advantage of cargo flows from Asian markets to North America. "Taiwan is becoming a big IT cargo hub," Chang said on the sidelines of the airshow. Chang added that the company is seeking to have the option to order five more freighters. For passenger jets, Chang said the carrier is looking to become a transit airline for travelers from Southeast Asia to North America as it plans to expand its routes beyond Asia, including a new Seattle flight to begin in the middle of the year. The new deals came after Airbus' American rival Boeing on Tuesday said that Thai Airways had placed a firm order of 45 wide-body 787-9 aircraft, the largest-ever airplane deal from Thailand. With deliveries starting in 2027, the airline is looking to open new routes to support high demand for air travel across Southeast Asia. <br/>