The deals include 220 planes from Boeing and 250 from Airbus and eclipse previous records for a single airline as Air India vies with domestic giant IndiGo to serve what will soon be the world's largest population.

Thousands of Boeing employees gather near Seattle to watch the last delivery of the 747, which brought affordable air travel to the masses.

The performance woes in defence reflect the drag from supply chain problems that have plagued the broader economy, as well as the restrictive nature of government contracts.

Industry sources say the US planemaker, struggling to maintain its duopoly with Europe's Airbus, would strike early at the Farnborough Airshow, after months of talks to sell its largest single-aisle jet to Delta.

The manufacturer's 737 MAX was grounded for 20 months worldwide in March 2019 after 346 people died in two crashes – the Lion Air disaster in Indonesia in 2018 and an Ethiopian Airlines crash the following year.

Malaysia suspended the aircraft in March 2019 after it was grounded worldwide following two deadly crashes.

An Indonesian transportation ministry spokesman says Indonesia will allow the Boeing 737 Max to fly again after FAA certification.

After two crashes killed 346 people in Indonesia and Ethiopia, the aircraft was grounded around the world.

But both companies are optimistic as they rebuild to come out flying on 'the other side of the pandemic'.

'A tragedy that should never have happened.'