Airbus Secures Early Advantage
Airbus moved first, announcing on Thursday that Air China and Hainan Airlines had signed agreements for a combined 95 aircraft valued at up to $17.8 billion at catalogue prices. Air China will acquire 15 A350-900 widebody jets and 40 A320neo-family narrowbodies for subsidiary Shenzhen Airlines, with deliveries between 2029 and 2032. Hainan Airlines separately ordered 40 A320neo-family aircraft for no more than $5.36 billion. The deals cement Airbus’s hold in the Chinese market ahead of what is expected to be an order-heavy week. Cchinadaily
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Philippine Airlines is also reportedly finalizing a split order for 15 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners and nine Airbus A350-1000s, according to Reuters. Aaerotime
Boeing’s Defense and Commercial Pitch
Boeing will debut the MQ-28 Ghost Bat collaborative combat drone on static display at Farnborough for the first time. The uncrewed aircraft, developed in Australia to fly alongside crewed fighters in roles such as surveillance and electronic warfare, recently participated in its first multinational large-force exercise during Valiant Shield 2026 in the Pacific. Aaerospaceglobalnews
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On the commercial side, Boeing released its annual market forecast on Friday projecting the global fleet will grow nearly 80 percent to more than 50,000 airplanes by 2045, up from about 28,000 today, requiring nearly 44,000 new aircraft deliveries over the next two decades. Tthemalaysianreserve
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Geopolitical Backdrop
The show unfolds against a backdrop of record European defense spending. EU member states’ total defense expenditure is expected to reach an estimated €454 billion in 2026, an 8.6 percent increase over the previous year. Defense News reported that ongoing conflicts are shifting airshow attention from traditional jet displays toward weapons systems and munitions. Boeing’s expanded presence — including a full-size 777X cabin section and T-7 flight deck simulator — signals its intent to compete aggressively across both commercial and military segments after its scaled-back appearance in 2024. EEuropa
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