Boeing’s first Dreamliner delivery to China since 2019 arrives

Privately owned Chinese carrier Juneyao Airlines on Thursday took delivery of the 787-9 aircraft, which Boeing said then departed for China from Everett Paine Field in Washington state.

The flight landed in Shanghai around 4:20 p.m. local time (0820 GMT), the airline said.

China suspended most orders and deliveries of Boeing planes in 2019 after the 737 MAX was grounded worldwide following two fatal crashes.

A restart of MAX deliveries would represent a reset of Boeing’s relationship with China and create an opportunity for the company to offload dozens of planes in its inventory, and pave the way for a larger breakthrough in deliveries and orders.

The company expects China to account for 20% of the world’s aircraft demands through to 2042.

Boeing last delivered a leased Dreamliner plane to a Chinese customer in 2021, but no 787s have been handed over directly to Chinese airlines since November 2019.

Analysts had forecast the resumption of Dreamliner deliveries to China after consultancy AAP/AIR this month reported preparatory flight activities for a 787 designated for Juneyao Airlines, registered as B-20EQ.

Twelve of the 60 undelivered 787s in Boeing’s inventory are dedicated for Chinese operators, analysts Jefferies said.

Boeing’s business with Chinese airlines could be affected by the political ties between Washington and Beijing, which have recently improved.

Last month, U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping held their first face-to-face talks in a year, and on Thursday the top U.S. military officer spoke to his Chinese counterpart in the first such conversation in over a year.