Boeing Delivers First 787 To China Since 2019

Boeing has completed delivery of its first 787 Dreamliner to China since 2019, a landmark milestone for relations between the United States and China.

Breaking Down The Delivery

A Juneyao Airlines 787 was delivered last Thursday as part of the resumption to unfreeze deliveries for the aircraft type.

Flight data indicates that the aircraft arrived in Shanghai at 1620 local time, with the delivery representing an important milestone for the American plane maker.

Juneyao Airlines, per data, has 7 Boeing 787s to its name, all from the 787-9, with an average age of 4.6 years. However, it still has units on order but has been unable to acquire them.

What Happened To Boeing Deliveries In China?

When the Boeing 737 MAX crisis emerged, China was quick to react by grounding the 737 MAX before several other vital regulators, and they deemed the type unsafe.

However, instead of working diligently to get the plane back into service like countries worldwide, China lagged once Boeing had completed the required work.

As a result, the MAX is still yet to be approved, and in response to China’s lack of trust in the Boeing product, they essentially halted all deliveries for any aircraft family. Notable casualties were the 737 MAX but also the long-haul 787.

This decision from China has impacted Boeing significantly as a substantial amount of their backlog for aircraft that need to be delivered are destined for China.

Pressure has thus been added to the manufacturers’ inventory as they have not only dealt with supply chain issues in recent years but have also been forced to delay delivery to many airlines.

Is It Time For The 737 MAX To Be Approved?

The Air Current, a leading publication, reported that Boeing had also secured clearance from China’s regulator to resume deliveries for the 737 MAX.

However, before this occurs, other approvals still need to be obtained within China. Still, the aircraft manufacturer is well on its way to securing a recommencement of deliveries for the first time in years.

Boeing’s 737 MAX, in a similar fashion to the 787 Dreamliner, remained halted for a considerable period as a lack of trust existed between China and Boeing.

Approval would mark a pivotal moment for Chinese customers who can leverage the 737 MAX’s capabilities to their advantage and grow their operations.