Boeing Edges Out Airbus at Farnborough Amid Signs of Recovery

Airbus and Boeing have both fared well at this year's Farnborough Airshow, but Boeing has taken the top spot in terms of orders. The American planemaker announced deals for 173 aircraft, edging out its European rival Airbus with 154 orders.

This marks a significant win for Boeing under its new CEO, Kelly Ortberg. While the company still faces challenges ahead, particularly with the long-awaited 777X and massive order backlogs, this recent success is seen as a key signal that Ortberg's turnaround efforts are paying off.

Ortberg was highly visible at the show, taking a front-row seat for an order signing and speaking at a media reception. This reflects his leadership approach of being hands-on and closer to the factory floors, which has been adopted since he took over two years ago.

Augusto Viansson Ponte, a director at Alton Aviation Consultancy, noted that Ortberg's visibility was 'a good sign'. He added that 'what was very interesting was quite a bit of Boeing [orders], which means people have faith' in the company's recovery from past issues.