Boeing 787 Delivered To China

Boeing continues to ramp up its delivery output to China with the handing over of a 787 Dreamliner.

The American planemaker delivered the 787-9 model to Juneyao Airlines, a Chinese carrier which had previously entered headlines for refusing the delivery of the type in April.

Despite the headlines surrounding Boeing and its 787 product following an Air India crash, the delivery marks a landmark moment for the planemaker, as trade tensions ease for the time being.

The delivery follows initial suspensions of deliveries that were initiated when China confirmed it would take delivery of new commercial aeroplanes as a retaliatory measure.

However, after several weeks of deliveries being suspended, the pair announced that deliveries would formally resume in June as part of a halt that affected all parties to some extent.

If the delivery suspensions had continued for a prolonged period, there were very apparent concerns about the impact this would have on airlines located here.

Additionally, there were fresh opportunities then for carriers from other countries to seize and take delivery of these planes that were unable to head towards their original customers.

Juneyao Previously Rejected The 787

Juneyao Airlines’ acceptance of the 787 also follows its landmark decision to delay the acquisition of the wide-body aircraft in mid-April.

Reporting by Bloomberg suggested that the carrier was responding to the escalating trade war at the time and was pushing back against any possible acquisition of new planes from the planemaker.

The airline cited the additional costs that would be incurred for taking delivery of the planes as a negative factor, which would prevent the acquisition of jets and necessitate a reevaluation.

The airline relies heavily on the 787 Dreamliner. At the same time, there are now only ten units present, all for the 787-9; this was previously nine at the time of the rejection.

Moreover, the series is the only wide-body type in operation and, therefore, crucial for long-haul and in-demand locations that require a higher-capacity plane.

If Juneyao Airlines had continued to reject planes, this would have hindered its ability to meet demand and sustain its international operations growth.