PARIS • Boeing secured twice as much in order value at the Paris Air Show as rival Airbus, marking the US plane-maker's first victory in five years at the aviation industry's annual showcase.

Boeing won orders and expressions of interest for about 420 planes worth as much as US$58 billion (S$80.6 billion) based on a Bloomberg count through midday on Wednesday, getting a boost from demand for the Max 10, the biggest version of its B-737 workhorse.

Airbus, which posted a tally of 229 airliners valued at about US$25 billion, dismissed the setback and said it was focusing on meeting delivery targets to make up for production snags rather than seeking new purchasers.

The haul of about US$83 billion in deals easily surpassed the US$50 billion signed at last year's show in Farnborough, England, which was the lowest figure since 2010.

Asian lessors and airlines were particularly active as they girded for an accelerating travel boom. The order binge reflected customer support for a new Boeing 737 model, and quieted concerns that demand is fading for new jetliners.

"Maybe people came to the show with muted expectations, but the order activity is positive on the backdrop of relatively strong air-traffic growth," said Mr Kelly Ortberg, CEO of aerospace supplier Rockwell Collins.

The biggest buyer at the Paris expo was General Electric's GE Capital Aviation Services, which ordered 100 Airbus planes valued at US$10.8 billion and converted 20 Boeing production slots from earlier purchases to the planned B-737 Max 10. That model, rolled out to combat Airbus' hot-selling A-321neo, secured 336 commitments.

One of the largest customers at the show was India's SpiceJet, which struck a deal with Boeing for 40 of the new Max model, co-founder Ajay Singh said in an interview. It was joined in orders at Boeing by Chinese operator Okay Airways Co, Indonesia's Lion Mentari Airlines, Japan Investment Adviser and BOC Aviation.

BLOOMBERG