China Airlines to buy 16 Boeing 787 Dreamliner
China Airlines said Tuesday that it would buy 16 Boeing 787 aircraft to replace its fleet of Airbus A330s.
The politically sensitive deal worth $4.6 billion at list prices was announced by the government-backed airline weeks after a visit to Taipei by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi angered to Beijing and fueled trade tensions between China and the United States.
→ US suspends 26 Chinese airline flights.
Boeing’s chief executive said last month that 737 MAX deliveries to China remained blocked by COVID-19 and a “geopolitical spillover,” referring to rising trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
Taiwan’s order, however, is the latest sign of a long-awaited rebound in demand for wide-body jets and a boost for the US planemaker weeks after it resumed deliveries of its main long-haul model after a 15-month interruption due to production problems.
→ Conviasa inaugurated new route between Caracas and Guangzhou, China.
China Airlines indicated that the 787s would allow it to phase out its fleet of 22 A330s. Orders for the 787-9 version include options for eight more, as well as conversion rights to the higher-capacity 787-10 model.
The airline cited the 787’s cargo-carrying capability as one of the reasons behind its selection in a contest that, according to industry sources, pitted the 787 against the A330neo.
Deliveries of the 787 are expected to begin in 2025, China Airlines said.
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