American Airlines to purchase 35 737-800s

American Airlines has decided to exercise purchase options for 35 Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft.  The options were included as part of a previous order for 84 737 aircraft that began arriving back in 2009.  American plans on using the 737 aircraft to replace its archaic fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft, which are about 35% less fuel efficient compared to a 737-800.  They hope to achieve a total fleet of 195 737-800 aircraft by the end of 2012.  I've tended to avoid flying American on domestic flights because they mostly fly these old MD-80's with its crappy interiors and cramped seats.  But with these new 737-800s coming into service, I would be more willing to make the switch back to American.

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Qatar Airways announces order for 2 777-200LRs

Yesterday at the Farnborough Air Show, five-star airline Qatar Airways announced that it would be purchasing from Boeing 2 777-200LR Worldliner aircraft.  The total value of the order is around $501 million at list prices.  Currently Qatar flies an extensive 777 fleet that includes the aforementioned 777-200LR, the 777-300ER, and the 777-F, a freighter variant.

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Okay Airways orders 10 737-800s at Farnborough

Yesterday, Beijing-based airline Okay Airways signed an agreement with Boeing to acquire 10 Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft, with an order value of around $800 million at list prices.  Okay Airways is China's first privately owned airline, serving domestic routes near its hub a Tianjin Binhai International Airport.  They are also an all-Boeing operator, with a fleet mostly comprised of 737-800 aircraft.

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Air Austral orders two 777-200LRs at Farnborough

Today at the Farnborough Air Show, French carrier Air Austral announced an agreement to purchase two Boeing 777-200LR Worldliners.  The order is valued at around $501 million at list prices.  The 777-200LR is an ideal aircraft for this particular airline.  With a total range of 9,395 nautical miles, it can connect any two city-pairs in the world nonstop.  In Air Austral's case, it allows for nonstop flights from Paris to the island nation of Reunion, a vacation hotspot located in the South Indian Ocean and Air Austral's base of operations.

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Air Lease Corporation to order 60 737-800s at Farnborough

Another company in the growing aviation leasing market, Los Angeles based Air Lease Corporation, has just signed an agreement with Boeing for 60 Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft.  54 of those planes are firm orders, while the remaining six are purchase options.  Although a relatively new company (Air Lease was just recently founded in February 2010), it has at its helm Steven Udvar-Hazy, a former major player in the leasing industry when he was the head of International Lease Financing Corporation (ILFC).

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Avolon orders 12 Next-Gen 737-800s at Farnborough

Dublin, Ireland-based leasing company Avolon placed an order with Boeing for 12 Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft at this year's Farnborough Air Show.  The order is valued at around $921 million at list prices.  Avolon is a brand new leasing outfit in the aviation sector, having just launched recently in May 2010.  Hopefully this is a sign that the aviation industry is coming out of its cyclic downturn and heading for greener pastures, especially with the number of orders that both Boeing and rival Airbus have been racking up at this year's show.

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Royal Jordanian orders 3 787s at Farnborough

Several more Dreamliners were placed on the growing order book today at the Farnborough International Airshow.  Jordan's national carrier, Royal Jordanian, placed an order with Boeing for three 787-8 aircraft, boosting their entire 787 fleet to 11 planes.  The order is worth about $500 million at list prices.  Jordanian Air (the first Middle Eastern airline to order the 787) plans to utilize its 787 fleet on North American routes, which include New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Toronto.

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Norwegian Air Shuttle orders 15 Next-Gen 737s at Farnborough

Capping yesterday's flurry of aircraft orders at the U.K. Farnborough Air Show is an order by Norwegian Air Shuttle for 15 Next-Generation 737-800s.  To be more precise, the order is an exercise of purchase rights that Norwegian Air had secured way back in 2007, when they had made an order of 42 737's and 42 purchase rights.  The total order is valued at around $1.15 billion at list prices.

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