June 19 (UPI) -- A day after Boeing failed to secure any orders for new planes at the Paris Air Show, the embattled aircraft manufacturer announced it inked a letter of intent with International Airlines Group for 200 737 Max aircraft, the first major deal for the plane since it was grounded earlier this year.
Announced during the second day of the air show, the $24 billion deal sees the parent company of Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, Vueling and LEVEL ordering a mix of Boeing's 737 Max 8 and Max 10 jets, though it has not announced the specific numbers of each.
IAG said the planes, pending final approval of the order, will be delivered between 2023 and 2027.
"We are very pleased to sign this letter of intent with Boeing and are certain that these aircraft will be a great addition to IAG's short-haul fleet," IAG chief executive Willie Walsh said in a statement.
The order is the first major deal Boeing has secured for its 737 Max aircraft since the plane was grounded in March following a second fatal crash involving the plane in a matter of months.
While 737 Max aircraft are still parked on tarmacs, Walsh said he is sure that Boeing will have the planes back in the sky before long.
"We have every confidence in Boeing and expect that the aircraft will make a successful return to service in the coming months having received approval from regulators," he said.
The plane will remain grounded until it completes a software fix that addresses issues with its Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, which was linked to the crashes in Indonesia last October and Ethiopia in March.
"We are truly honored and humbled by the leadership at International Airlines Group for placing their trust and confidence in the 737 Max and, ultimately, in the people of Boeing and our deep commitment to quality and safety above all else," Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Kevin McAllister said in a statement. "We are delighted that the IAG team recognized the superior qualities of the 737 Max and has indicated an intention to return to the Boeing 737 family."
Boeing also announced Tuesday it had sold 20 of its 787-10 and 10 787-9 Dreamliners to Korean Air.
Meanwhile, IAG, with 582 aircraft flying to 268 destinations, is one of the world's largest airline groups, wasn't done shopping Tuesday and purchased eight Airbus A321XLR aircraft for Iberia and six for Aer Lingus with an option to buy 14 more.
The French aircraft manufacturer unveiled the A321XLR, the next generation of the A321LR, Monday during the first day of the air show, and pulled in more than 100 orders for aircraft while Boeing was only able to secure a handful of orders for converted planes.
Among those ordered were 50 from American Airlines. The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline upgraded 30 of its orders for the Airbus A321neo to the A321XLR, and added an additional 20 A321XLRs.
The A321XLR is the longest-range narrow body aircraft and is meant for longer routes on which there aren't enough passengers to warrant a twin aisle jet.
New aircraft take flight at 2019 Paris Air Show
Embraer's Praetor 600 business aircraft performs a demonstration flight during the 53rd international Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, France on Tuesday. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
Embraer's E195-E2 aircraft. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
Airbus' EC65 Tiger helicopter. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
Embraer's Praetor 600 business aircraft. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine speaks during a briefing. The leaders of the world's most prominent space agencies discussed how global cooperation on earth can contribute to achieving mission in space. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
UAE Space Agency General Director Mohammed Nasser al Ahbabi speaks during the briefing. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency President Hiroshi Yamakawa speaks during the briefing. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
European Space Agency (ESA) Director General Johann-Dietrich Worner speaks during the briefing. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
International Airlines Group CEO Willie Walsh (R) and President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes Kevin G. McAllister shake hands during a press conference to announce the purchase of 200 Boeing 737 Max plane. Boeing shares climbed after the British Airways parent company placed the first order for 737 Max since their grounding in mid-March. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
A Russian Beriev BE 200 amphibious aircraft performs a demonstration flight on the opening day of the 54th International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
A Kazan Ansat Russian helicopter. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
Dan Elwell, acting administrator of the FAA (L); David Short, deputy assistant secretary of transportation for aviation and international affairs (C); and moderator John Cooney hold a press briefing. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
A Dassault Rafale fighter jet. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
An Airbus A330neo. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
An Airbus A350-1000. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
A Boeing 787-9. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
Visitors look at an emergency medical Kazan Ansat Russian helicopter. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
A visitor takes a peek at Israel's Eviation's Alice all-electric prototype. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
A visitor uses a virtual reality headset as he sits in a reproduction of the interior of Israel's Eviation's Alice all-electric aircraft. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
Visitors walk past Airbus' A400M Atlas military transport aircraft. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
Pakistani pilots stand next to the PAC Kamra JF-17 Thunder jet fighter. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
Visitors look at a model of the Hurkus fixed-wing aircraft at Turkish Aerospace Industries' stand. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
Pakistan's PAC Kamra JF-17 Thunder jet fighter. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
Pilots take shelter from the sun beneath Canada Bombardier Aerospace's Global 7500 business jet. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
Israel's Eviation's Alice all-electric prototype. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI | License Photo
