Farnborough 2026: 342 Firm Orders So Far

Three days into the 2026 Farnborough International Airshow, the order tally stood at 342 firm commercial aircraft commitments, 57 preliminary deals in the form of options and purchase rights, and 30 passenger-to-freighter conversions. The figures, compiled by ADS Group and corroborated by FlightGlobal's order tracker, place this edition among the busier Farnborough airshows for firm order volume despite the absence of a single headline widebody mega-order.

Day 2 alone generated $22.1 billion in deal value, 82 firm aircraft orders, and 431 firm engine orders, according to ADS. The engine count is significant: each firm aircraft order typically carries two engines (or one for single-engine types), and 431 engines against 82 aircraft suggests a mix of widebody and narrowbody commitments plus engine-only orders for spares and fleet renewal programmes.

Day 2 highlights

AerCap: 15 Boeing 787-9s

The world's largest aircraft lessor, AerCap, ordered 15 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, with substitution rights allowing conversion to the larger 787-10 variant. Substitution rights are standard in lessor contracts — they provide flexibility to adjust the fleet mix based on lessee demand at the time of delivery. For a lessor operating across dozens of airlines globally, that flexibility is valuable because lessors do not always know which carrier will take a given airframe when the order is placed.

The 787-9 and 787-10 share a common type rating, meaning pilots qualified on one variant can transition to the other with differences training. That commonality matters for lessors because it broadens the pool of airlines whose pilots can operate the aircraft, improving placement prospects. The 787 family's widebody capacity positions these airframes for medium-to-long-haul routes, and the order signals continued lessor confidence in widebody demand.

Uganda Airlines: first Boeing order

Uganda Airlines placed its first-ever Boeing order, committing to four 737-8s and four 787-9s. The deal marks the carrier's entry into the Boeing customer base and expands its fleet beyond the CRJ-900 regional jets and A330-800 that currently form its operational roster.

The 737-8 selection for regional and continental African routes, paired with the 787-9 for long-haul operations, mirrors the fleet architecture adopted by several African carriers pursuing hub strategies. The 737 MAX family requires pilots to hold a 737 type rating, and the 787 requires its own separate type rating — meaning the airline will need to build qualified pilot pools for both aircraft families. For a carrier of Uganda Airlines' size, that represents a substantial training investment.

Philippine Airlines: nine more A350-1000s

Philippine Airlines signed a memorandum of understanding for nine additional Airbus A350-1000s, which would double its A350-1000 fleet to 18 aircraft. The MOU is a preliminary commitment — it signals intent but is not a firm order until a purchase agreement is finalised. MOUs at airshows frequently convert to firm orders within months, though some do not.

The A350-1000 is the largest variant in the A350 family, and Philippine Airlines operates it on long-haul routes to North America and Europe from its Manila hub. Doubling the fleet suggests the carrier sees sustained demand on those sectors and potentially new route opportunities. The A350-1000 shares a common type rating with the A350-900, so pilots already qualified on the -900 can transition with differences training.

Shohin Airlines: four A320neo-family

Shohin Airlines, a carrier from Tajikistan, ordered four A320neo-family aircraft. The order is modest in scale but notable as an emerging market commitment from a region that has historically operated older-generation aircraft. The A320neo family offers improved fuel efficiency and range over the preceding A320ceo family, and the order reflects the gradual fleet modernisation occurring across Central Asian carriers.

Embraer E-Jet orders: Abra Group and Azorra

Embraer secured two commitments on Day 2. Abra Group, the holding company for several Latin American airlines including Avianca, ordered 20 firm E195-E2 aircraft plus additional options. The E195-E2 is the largest variant in Embraer's second-generation E-Jet family, designed for regional and low-cost operations with improved fuel burn and reduced noise footprint. Abra Group's order reflects the ongoing demand for right-sized regional aircraft in markets where narrowbody capacity is either too large or too expensive for the route economics.

Azorra, an aircraft lessor, ordered 30 E190F freighter conversions. The E190F is Embraer's passenger-to-freighter conversion programme for the first-generation E190, targeting the regional cargo market. Passenger-to-freighter conversions extend the economic life of airframes that have completed their primary passenger service, and the regional freighter segment has grown as e-commerce distribution networks require smaller cargo aircraft serving secondary airports.

The themes behind the numbers

Several patterns emerge from the Day 2 orders. Fleet modernisation is the dominant theme — nearly every order replaces older aircraft with newer, more fuel-efficient types. Uganda Airlines' first Boeing order brings a new carrier into the modern narrowbody and widebody markets. Philippine Airlines' A350-1000 expansion reflects long-haul fleet renewal. AerCap's 787 order is lessor-driven fleet refreshment.

Regional jet demand is the second theme. Abra Group's E195-E2 order and Azorra's E190F freighter conversions both point to a market for aircraft sized below the A320 and 737 families. The regional jet segment has been undersupplied in recent years as manufacturers focused on larger aircraft, and Embraer's E-Jet E2 programme is the primary new-build option in this category. Our backlog analysis shows that narrowbody wait times are pushing some operators toward regional jets as a capacity bridge.

Freighter conversions are the third theme. Thirty passenger-to-freighter conversions were recorded across the first three days of the show, and Azorra's 30 E190F conversions account for a substantial portion of that total. The cargo market's post-pandemic trajectory has sustained demand for dedicated freighter capacity, and conversions provide a lower-cost path to freighter fleet growth compared to new-build cargo aircraft. The MRO super cycle is directly relevant here, as each conversion requires hangar time, skilled labour, and certification work — resources that are in short supply across the global maintenance sector.

Emerging market carriers are the fourth theme. Uganda Airlines, Shohin Airlines, and the Latin American Abra Group all represent markets outside the traditional North American and European airline core. The geographic spread of orders at Farnborough 2026 reflects the globalisation of commercial aircraft demand, with growth increasingly coming from regions where air travel penetration remains low relative to population.

What the engine count tells us

The 431 firm engine orders on Day 2 warrant attention. With 82 firm aircraft orders, a simple two-engine-per-airframe calculation yields 164 engines — meaning the remaining 267 engine commitments are either spares, engine-only orders for existing fleets, or widebody orders where engine contracts are counted separately. Engine OEMs use airshows to secure long-term service agreements alongside the hardware orders, and the engine count often includes maintenance, repair, and overhaul contracts that extend over the life of the engine.

What to watch

The final order tally will be confirmed after the show closes. Airshow orders are commitments, not deliveries — the gap between signing and aircraft handover can be years, and some MOUs and preliminary deals do not convert to firm orders. The $22.1 billion Day 2 figure is deal value at list prices, which are routinely discounted in actual transactions. The real economic significance of Farnborough orders lies less in the headline number and more in what the orders reveal about airline fleet planning intentions: which aircraft types are in demand, which markets are growing, and where the next cycle of capacity expansion is concentrated.