As the Farnborough International Airshow opened on July 20, 2026, one of the most closely watched deals of the week was an order that Philippine Airlines has not yet signed. Reuters reported on July 10 that the Manila-based carrier is on the cusp of ordering 15 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners and nine Airbus A350-1000s, splitting a major widebody purchase across both of the world’s large jet makers. If the deal is finalized, it would be Philippine Airlines’ first direct order from Boeing in nearly two decades.
A rare order split across both manufacturers
Philippine Airlines already operates the Airbus A350-1000. According to ch-aviation data cited in the reporting, the carrier took its first in December 2025 and its second in June 2026, with seven more on the way. Adding nine of the type would deepen a fleet the airline is already flying. The Boeing half of the deal is different: Philippine Airlines has a long Boeing history and currently flies 777-300ERs, but it has never operated the 787-10, so the Dreamliners would be a new type on its books.
What makes the reported deal notable is the return to Boeing itself. Philippine Airlines last placed a direct order with the American manufacturer in 2007, for two 777-300ERs. A commitment for 15 787-10s would end a gap of nearly twenty years and put the carrier back on Boeing’s widebody order book at a moment when both manufacturers are competing hard for a shrinking pool of near-term delivery slots.
First Boeing order since 2007
Philippine Airlines has kept flying Boeing widebodies, but its last direct purchase from the manufacturer was a two-aircraft 777-300ER deal in 2007. The reported 787-10 commitment would end a nearly twenty-year gap.
Why an airline buys from both Boeing and Airbus
Operating two different widebody families is not free. Each type brings its own pilot training, spare parts, tooling, and maintenance programs, so most airlines try to consolidate around a single widebody where they can. Choosing to run both is usually a deliberate call. A split order keeps competitive tension between the two manufacturers on price and delivery timing, hedges against a delay or production problem at either one, and lets a carrier match each aircraft to the missions it fits best.
With slots for new widebodies sold out well into the 2030s, ordering from both can also simply be the fastest way to get aircraft. Understanding how the two giants compete helps explain why a fleet planner might split a single order rather than pick a winner, a dynamic AeroCorner has covered in its look at Boeing versus Airbus and why the two dominate the market.
A Boeing 787 order would also set up a second contest that Airbus is not part of. The 787 is offered with a choice of engines, from General Electric and from Rolls-Royce, so choosing the Dreamliner opens a separate competition between those two suppliers. The A350, by contrast, flies only on Rolls-Royce engines, so the Airbus half of the deal is already decided on that front. Engine selection on a widebody order of this size is a major deal in its own right, often negotiated separately from the airframe.
Reality check: reported, not signed
As of the airshow opening, this is a report, not a confirmed order. Reuters said the carrier was on the cusp of a deal, and Boeing, Airbus, and Philippine Airlines all declined to comment. Some accounts have cited different totals, closer to ten of each type. Treat the numbers as provisional until a signing is announced.
Farnborough is where deals like this are often formalized, with airlines and manufacturers timing announcements to the show’s opening days. Whether Philippine Airlines confirms the order at Farnborough, adjusts the split, or lets talks run longer, the reported plan already signals a large widebody renewal from a carrier rebuilding its long-haul network. AeroCorner will update this story if a firm order is announced.