by Donald Wood
Last updated: 4:55 PM ET, Mon June 17, 2019
As the 2019 Paris Airshow began Monday, Airbus and Boeing were moving in opposite directions, as the European manufacturer introduced a new plane and the American company revealed an engine delay in addition to the 737 MAX issues.
According to Reuters.com, Airbus came to the Paris Airshow to debut its long-range version of the A321neo plane, dubbed the A321XLR, which will help support carriers around the world looking to serve routes with smaller aircraft.
The A321XLR will be the longest-range narrow-body plane on the market with a range of up to 4,700 nautical miles. The Air Lease Corporation has agreed to become the first company to purchase the new Airbus plane, signing a deal for 27 as part of an agreement for a total of 100 Airbus aircraft.
The airplane manufacturer is also trying to complete deals with American Airlines, JetBlue and more.
"We can fly from north-eastern Asia into South Asia, from the Middle East to Bali or from Japan deep into Australia and so on," Airbus chief salesman Christian Scherer told Reuters. "It is, therefore, the lowest-risk investment for airlines on these kinds of routes."
While Airbus was sharing its new plane, Boeing was forced to reveal that its engine supplier, GE Aviation, found unexpected wear in a component for the GE9X engine it is producing for the manufacturer's 777X. The announcement will force a delay of several months while it redesigns and tests the part.
In addition to the engine problems, Boeing is still dealing with the grounding of its top-selling 737 MAX aircraft in March after two deadly crashes.
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