Paris Airshow Day 1: LOT Polish, Riyadh Air and All Nippon Airlines place major orders with Airbus

Paris Airshow 2025 has returned to Le Bourget airport, and yesterday was the first day. Since a lot of the news that gets out of the event is a lot of orders, here are the orders announced on Day one of the airshow, in one handy reference. Pro tip, don’t be surprised if most of these orders are headed the way of Airbus, which is based in Europe, and this is the home airshow for them.

Riyadh Air orders 25 A350-1000 Aircraft

Riyadh Air signed up a firm order for 25 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft on Day one of the airshow. The agreement included options to potentially increase the order to 50 jets in the future. The signing ceremony was attended by H.E. Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the Governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Christian Scherer, CEO Commercial Aircraft at Airbus, and Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air.

With this order, Riyadh Air will become the first Saudi airline to operate the A350-1000 aircraft. This deal aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy, which aims to handle 300 million air passengers annually.

Adam Boukadida, Chief Financial Officer of Riyadh Air, said,

This order marks a significant step forward in building a world-class airline that reflects the ambitions of Vision 2030. The A350-1000 will bring outstanding efficiency and comfort to our fleet, supporting our sustainability goals and enabling Riyadh Air to offer a premium experience while connecting Saudi Arabia to the world. It’s a clear signal of our intent to shape the future of air travel and contribute meaningfully to the Kingdom’s fast-growing aviation ecosystem.

At the end of May 2025, the A350 Family has won over 1,390 firm orders from more than 60 customers worldwide, with 657 aircraft in service on long, medium and short haul routes around the world.

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LOT Polish Airlines Orders 40 A220 aircraft with Airbus

LOT Polish Airlines, for the first time, made an order with Airbus. The airline has placed a firm order for 20 Airbus A220-100 and 20 A220-300 aircraft. Including options, the order could expand to a total of 84 A220 aircraft. The new A220 jets will gradually replace LOT’s existing regional fleet.

Michał Fijoł, LOT Executive Officer, said,

Today’s decision is about the future. The Airbus A220 family aircraft, which will start joining our fleet in 2027, open up new opportunities for development and growth – key pillars of our strategy. These modern, efficient, and passenger-focused aircraft will allow us to compete effectively in the European skies, strengthen our position as the preferred carrier in Central and Eastern Europe, and prepare LOT for its role as a leading airline at the Central Communication Port.

At the end of May 2025, the A220 had secured over 900 firm orders from more than 30 customers worldwide, with over 415 aircraft already delivered. The A220 is currently in  successful service with 24 airlines globally, operating on more than 1,600 routes and serving over 470 destinations.

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ANA places orders: Airbus Narrowbodies and Embraer Regional Aircraft

ANA Holdings, the parent company of All Nippon Airways (ANA), placed orders at the Paris Airshow, for aircraft across Airbus and Embraer.

• ANA Holdings finalised an agreement by signing a firm order with Airbus for 24 single-aisle A321neo and three A321XLR. The order covers 14 additional A321neo for All Nippon Airways (ANA) as well as 10 A321neo and three A321XLR for its group airline Peach Aviation, to upgrade the group’s current fleet.Peach Aviation will become the first Japanese airline to operate the A321XLR, which has the longest range of any single aisle aircraft, flying up to 4,700nm / 8,700 km non-stop.

• All Nippon Airways also finalized order for up to 15 Embraer E190-E2s and 5 options at the Paris Air Show, becoming Japan’s first E2 operator. Deliveries will happen between FY2028 and 2033.

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AviLease Orders Up To 77 Airbus A320neos, A350 Freighters

AviLease, the global aircraft lessor headquartered in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, announced an initial order for 10 A350F freighters and 30 A320neo Family aircraft. The agreement can go up to 22 A350F freighters and 55 A320neo Family aircraft, inclusive of the options. The A320neo family order is a mix of A320neos and A321neos, but not the A321XLR.

Edward O’Byrne, CEO of AviLease, said,

We are proud to establish an Airbus order book, strengthening our position as a full-service, investment grade global lessor. The addition of these latest generation aircraft enhances our ability to offer modern, fuel-efficient fleet solutions to our airline partners in Saudi Arabia and around the world. We thank our local partners and Airbus for the strong long-term partnership we have established and look forward to placing these aircraft across our valued customer base.

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Bottomline

It was a muted day one at the Paris Airshow, with some existing orders being announced to the world at the show. But we heard the first of the choice that Riyadh Air made in their ULH after their 777X vs A350-1000 parade, and the only surprise (not surprise) was for LOT Polish to pick the A220 platform.

What do you think of the day 1 at Paris Airshow?

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