The Boeing Company said Tues-day it had snared an order from Korean Airlines for nine planes worth at least US$1.5 billion (1.3 billion euros), riposting rival Airbus' record order announcement the day before.
Boeing signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korea's national flag carrier Monday, a Boeing spokesman, speaking at the Paris Air Show here, told reporters.
The memorandum is for the purchase of two 747-400ER freighters and seven 777 passenger jets, he said.
"The definitive signing of the contract is expected in the coming weeks," he added.
Korean Air officials were not immediately available to comment on the order.
The sale is valued at a minimum US$1.5 billion.
The catalogue price of the 777s is US$162 million to US$231 million, while the 747-400ERs are listed between US$187 million to US$214 million, the Boeing spokesman said.
South Korea's national flag carrier swung into the red in the first quarter this year due to higher fuel costs and foreign exchange-related losses.
But it saw sales in its freight business climb 7.8 percent, while passenger traffic was up 1.0 percent.
In the traditional battleground of air shows, where Boeing and Airbus joust for media attention, the announcement of an imminent US$1.5 billion sale was dwarfed by Monday's unveiling of a record US$12.5 billion order for Airbus planes from Dubai-based airline Emirates.
Yet it was the first sign of progress in commercial sales for the leading aircraft maker to be announced at the 45th edition of the world's biggest air show, which opened Sunday.
Pickings are slim in the worst crisis in aviation history, and the European company Airbus and its US foe are scrabbling for orders.
Asked whether Boeing had a lot of competition with Airbus for the sale to South Korea's national flag-carrier, Toby Bright, vice president of Boeing sales, said that there was "always competition with Airbus."
For Airbus, the Emirates' order of 41 planes Monday put the aircraft maker solidly on the road to reaching its minimum target of 250 orders this year. Airbus now has 197 orders on its books, while Boeing has had 38 firm orders this year.
Korean Air operates a mixed fleet of Boeing, Airbus and McDonnell Douglas aircraft.
Korean Air is a member of the Skyteam Alliance of six airlines, along with Aeromexico, Air France, Alitalia, CSA Czech Airlines and Delta.
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