F-35 puts on “stunning display” at Farnborough Air Show

Airbus Group left Boeing trailing on the second day of the 2016 Farnborough Air Show after landing a $12.6 billion jetliner deal from AirAsia at the year’s biggest aviation expo.

Also Tuesday, Lockheed Martin’s F-35B stealth fighter jet made its solo aerial debut at the show, putting on what the Daily Mail called “a stunning display.” The short-takeoff version of the jet, which can hover and turn 360 degrees, is being purchased by the United Kingdom.

The events this week mark the first appearance at the major international air show for the F-35, which is moving towards full production in Fort Worth after years of technical hurdles.

Most of the attention at the show Tuesday centered on the annual competition between Boeing and Airbus for airplane orders.

AirAsia, a Malaysian discount carrier, signed a firm agreement to buy 100 A321neos in a deal that swells an already-record order tally for Airbus’s single-aisle family to 575 aircraft.

Following an accord to sell 72 A320neos to Go Airlines India, the blockbuster deal takes Airbus’s Farnborough tally to 223 aircraft valued at $28.3 billion. That’s more than double the 121 orders worth $13.7 billion at Boeing, excluding the signing of final terms on a 747 deal already announced.

Boeing had earlier taken a lead over France-based Airbus with a spate of morning accords involving carriers in China and tour operator TUI AG.

The Chicago-based company agreed to provide an unidentified Chinese client with 30 737 jets it said would be a mix of the current model and the re-engined Max version, worth more than $3 billion at list prices. It also secured a deal to supply Kunming Airlines with 10 Max 7s valued at $902 million after saying Monday the jet would get more seats to help spur sales.

In Europe, TUI agreed to convert options on 10 Max 8s into firm orders worth $1.1 billion, and will also add another 787-9 Dreamliner to its fleet, valued at $265 million. Boeing also sealed terms on 20 747-8 freighters with Russia’s Volga-Dnepr Group, though the deal isn’t new and some of the planes have already been delivered.

The bulk of deals at Farnborough and the Paris show with which it alternates come on the first two business days, though more announcements are possible Wednesday, with the acquisition of 20 Max jets by Spain’s Air Europa Lineas Aereas among anticipated purchases that have so far failed to materialize.

Boeing’s orders on the expo’s first day were also been dominated by China, with Xiamen Airlines agreeing to take 30 Max 200s, a high-density version of the Max 8, with a value of $3.39 billion, and Donghai Airlines signing an outline deal for 25 Max 8s worth $2.75 billion and five 787-9s priced at $1.32 billion.

Staff writer Steve Kaskovich contributed to this report.

This story was originally published July 12, 2016 at 5:47 PM with the headline "F-35 puts on “stunning display” at Farnborough Air Show."