In 2021, several Latin American carriers have ordered new airplanes with Boeing and Airbus. They have also adjusted their previous petitions to adapt better to the post-COVID-19 environment worldwide. But, how many new orders were made during the year?
Airbus, the big winner
Airbus had the most significant number of new orders in the Latin American region in 2021. The European OEM recorded 92 gross orders from three different airlines in the area.
According to Airbus’ Order & Deliveries the latest stats, Volaris was the first Latin American carrier to sign an order this year. On July 2, the Mexican low-cost carrier ordered two A320neo.
A few months later, LATAM Airlines Group announced an order for 28 Airbus narrowbody aircraft. The South American giant will receive seven A320neo and 21 A321neo.
Nonetheless, Airbus’ largest order came during the Dubai Airshow. Indigo Partners announced it had signed a deal for 255 A320 family aircraft for four airlines, including two in Latin America.
The Chilean low-cost carrier JetSMART signed a new deal for 23 new aircraft, including 21 A321neo and two A321XLR. JetSMART is one of the two Latin American operators set to use the XLR across the continent.
Finally, Volaris signed a new deal for 39 new A321neo aircraft. Moreover, in addition to the acquisition of these 39 aircraft, the Mexican carrier negotiated with Airbus 20 conversions from A320neo to A321neo aircraft of its current order.
Boeing, not so good
The US OEM Boeing didn’t have a great 2021 in Latin America. According to its Order & Deliveries database, it only had one order for nine aircraft throughout the year.
Boeing’s only order was signed by Brazil’s GOL Linhas Aereas. The Brazilian carrier will acquire nine additional B737 MAX units.
Boeing currently has 172 unfilled orders in Latin America (most from GOL), versus the 484 Airbus unfilled orders in Latin America.
Additionally, Boeing registered a change in Aeromexico’s original MAX order. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Aeromexico reduced its 54 units of the remaining order to 20 MAX aircraft, four B737-800, and four B787 Dreamliners. Moreover, the Mexican carrier signed a deal to lease new MAXs from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise.
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What to expect next year?
Airbus also lost a few customers and market share in the region, particularly in the long-haul segment. In 2021, LATAM Airlines Group decided to phase out its relatively new Airbus A350 fleet and opted to use the Boeing widebodies. Similarly, Avianca chose to stick with the Dreamliner family going forward for the long-haul market.
The European OEM also lost its most recent customer, Itapemirim Transportes Aéreos. Although the Brazilian customer didn’t acquire a new aircraft from Airbus, it opted to use an A320 based fleet. It temporarily ceased operations last Friday.
Next year will be very interesting as most of the region recovers its pre-pandemic traffic figures, at least in the domestic market. Moreover, the low-cost boom will continue, and we could see new orders from key players like Viva Aerobus or Viva, for example. While a long-shot at the moment, we could even see Aeromexico renew its regional fleet and could announce either an Embraer E2 or an Airbus A220 order.
Do you expect the airlines in the Latin American region to announce new orders in 2022? Let us know in the comments below.