Rival Boeing's two Asian clients place jet orders with Airbus

Two of Boeing's major Asian clients placed contracts for 65 aircraft with Airbus on Thursday.

This gives the European manufacturer a boost as its American competitor struggles with quality difficulties following a mid-flight panel burst on a 737 MAX 9.

The orders are a blow to Boeing, which is having difficulty keeping up with its European rival due to a wide-ranging manufacturing crisis that has forced it to restrict the production of narrow-body jets.

With the announcement that it will purchase 21 wide-body A350-900 and 11 narrow-body A321neo aircraft from Airbus, Japan Airlines (JAL) will become the first airline to operate smaller single-aisle aircraft.

Following a ground-breaking first order of A350 wide-body, or twin-aisle, jets used on longer international routes just over a decade ago, the order from Japan's second-largest airline allows Airbus to expand its foothold on a portion of its rival's turf.

JAL also announced plans to purchase ten Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

The biggest airline in South Korea, Korean Air, also announced that it would place an order for 33 A350s in a $13.7 billion agreement, marking the first acquisition of that aircraft family as it gets ready to merge with Asiana Airlines.

Airbus and Boeing have not released the list prices for their aircraft as of right now.

With the A321neo, Airbus has been progressively increasing its single-aisle market share following a number of Boeing 737 MAX-related incidents, including two deadly disasters in 2018 and 2019. In the wake of the Jan. 5 panel burst on an Alaska Airlines aircraft, regulators have curtailed Boeing's manufacturing, and the firm is facing inquiries into its safety and quality standards.