Summary
- China’s first Boeing 787 delivery in 4 years might be imminent, potentially involving a 787-9 to Juneyao Airlines.
- The one 737 MAX deliveries accomplished by Boeing were to China-based entities were 4 aircraft to ICBC Aircraft Leasing, with Ethiopian Airlines being the one airline to operate the aircraft following its delivery.
- While Boeing has struggled with deliveries to China, Airbus has continued to expand its market presence within the country, with plans to ascertain one other assembly line in Tianjin.
In a positive sign for Boeing, China’s first 787 delivery in 4 years could occur soon, with the manufacturer potentially scheduled to deliver an aircraft of the kind to Juneyao Airlines (marketed as Juneyao Air). The aircraft, registered as B-20EQ, was spotted after it landed following a test flight in the USA (US).
First potential Boeing 787 delivery in 4 years
The Juneyao Airlines Boeing 787-9 has been recently lively, with Flightradar24 showing three flights operated within the last two months. On November 7, 2023, it flew from Seattle Paine Field International Airport (PAE) to Portland International Airport (PDX), presumably to get painted within the airline’s livery. The aircraft returned to PAE on November 24, while on December 12, the 787-9 operated an almost three-hour flight that originated and landed at PAE.
In keeping with Boeing’s Orders & Deliveries data as of November 30, 2023, it has not delivered a single Boeing 787 aircraft since 2019. Meanwhile, the one 737 MAX deliveries that the manufacturer has accomplished were 4 different aircraft to Industrial and Business Bank of China (ICBC) Aircraft Leasing, which Boeing handed over between April and July 2022.
In keeping with ch-aviation data, out of the 4, just one airline has taken delivery of the 737 MAX from the Chinese lessor, Ethiopian Airlines. The opposite three, now registered as N175TS, N160TS, and N196TS, are all stored at Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport (TNA). Planespotters.net data showed that N160TS and N196TS were scheduled to be delivered to the now-bankrupt Jet Airways, while the N175TS was initially presupposed to be delivered to also the now-bankrupt Blue Air.
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Nevertheless, Boeing has yet to deliver any 737 MAX aircraft to Chinese-based airlines since 2019 as well. Throughout the 12 months, it only handed over six 737 MAXs on to the country’s airlines, while ICBC Aircraft Leasing took the opposite 12. Compared, Boeing directly delivered 16 Boeing 787-9s to the country’s airlines. The one airplane it has consistently delivered to China has been the 777F, with 20 deliveries between 2019 and November 2023, eight of which were handed over throughout 2023.
Moreover, the manufacturer’s data showed that it has 154 aircraft to deliver to China-based airlines, which incorporates Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific, whose backlog includes 21 Boeing 777X aircraft. Nevertheless, ch-aviation records showed that 17 airlines await 241 Boeing jets, including 737 MAX, 777F, and 787-9s.
Photo: aappp | Shutterstock
Airbus continues deliveries
And while Boeing, impacted by the tense political relationship between the US and China, has not been delivering its aircraft to the country’s airlines, Airbus has continued expanding its market presence in China, one among the most important global aviation markets behind the US.
Photo: Airbus
Ch-aviation data showed that Airbus delivered 74 aircraft, built since December 1, 2022, to 14 different airlines between December 2022 and November 30, 2023. Expanding the info range to aircraft, made since December 1, 2018, with deliveries occurring between January 1, 2019, and November 30, 2023, Airbus handed over 600 aircraft. Moreover, Airbus announced that it will establish one other A320neo family Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Tianjin, China, in April 2023, also expanding its manufacturing presence within the country.
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