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
Embraer's E195-E2 aircraft. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI
Airbus' EC65 Tiger helicopter. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI
Embraer's Praetor 600 business aircraft. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI
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
UAE Space Agency General Director Mohammed Nasser al Ahbabi speaks during the briefing. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency President Hiroshi Yamakawa speaks during the briefing. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI
European Space Agency (ESA) Director General Johann-Dietrich Worner speaks during the briefing. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI
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
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
A Kazan Ansat Russian helicopter. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI
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
A Dassault Rafale fighter jet. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI
An Airbus A330neo. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI
An Airbus A350-1000. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI
A Boeing 787-9. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI
Visitors look at an emergency medical Kazan Ansat Russian helicopter. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI
A visitor takes a peek at Israel's Eviation's Alice all-electric prototype. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI
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
Visitors walk past Airbus' A400M Atlas military transport aircraft. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI
Pakistani pilots stand next to the PAC Kamra JF-17 Thunder jet fighter. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI
Visitors look at a model of the Hurkus fixed-wing aircraft at Turkish Aerospace Industries' stand. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI
Pakistan's PAC Kamra JF-17 Thunder jet fighter. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI
Pilots take shelter from the sun beneath Canada Bombardier Aerospace's Global 7500 business jet. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI
Israel's Eviation's Alice all-electric prototype. Photo by Eco Clement/UPI
June 18 (UPI) -- Airbus began the first day of the International 53rd Paris Air Show unveiling a new commercial jet while announcing it had secured orders for over 100 planes while its main competitor, Boeing, left essentially empty-handed.
At Le Bourget Airport in the French capital on Monday, Airbus unveiled a new version of its A321, boasting a range 15 percent farther than its predecessor.
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The new A321XLR is a director competitor to the Boeing 737, which its latest generations -- the MAX 8 and MAX 9 -- have been grounded following two fatal plane crashes in Indonesia last October and Ethiopia in March.
"The A321XLR is the next evolutionary step from the A321LR, which responds to market needs for even more range and payload, creating more value for the airlines," the company said in a media release.
The plane, which will enter service in 2023, will have 30 percent less fuel burn per seat that will enable operators "to open new worldwide routes, such as India to Europe or China to Australia, as well as further extending the family's non-stop reach on direct transatlantic flights between continental Europe and the Americas," it said.
Middle East Airlines then was announced as the launch airline customer of the new plane shortly after it was unveiled.
Lebanon's flag carrier ordered four of the jets, a deal that was followed by Virgin Atlantic who said via Twitter that it had ordered 14 A330neos.
The biggest deal of the day for the French aircraft manufacturer was with Air Lease Corporation, a Los Angeles-based aircraft leasing company, who signed letters of intent for 100 Airbus aircraft, including 50 A220-300, 27 of the new A321XLRs and incremental orders for 23 A321neos.
Meanwhile, Boeing had no orders for new planes to show for the day but did announce that GE Capital Aviation Services ordered 10 freighters converted from 737-800 airplanes with an option to buy 15 more.
Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg told CNBC that the airshow wasn't about securing orders for its 737 Max 8 or Max 9 planes but instilling trust in customers that the plane is safe following the fatal accidents that were caused by issues with its anti-stall software.
"We'll get it back in the air when it's safe," he said. "That's is the most important thing here."