Aircraft Types, Numbers, Delivery Timeframes In Negotiations

Boeing is reported to be in talks with China for the sale of up to 500 commercial aircraft to the country’s airlines. Securing a deal of this magnitude would be a significant boost to the manufacturer after the challenges of the past several years.

Boeing has not commented publicly on the talks but according to reports citing internal sources, closing the deal may depend in part on relieving the tariff deadlock between the U.S. and China.

Boeing had been delivering increasing numbers of 737 MAX to China, but when the tariff situation worsened, China halted its deliveries. That has eased somewhat, and some are suggesting the 737 MAX will be central in the current discussions.

As such, the specifics of the deal are still being worked out such as the aircraft models and variants, numbers, and delivery timelines. Some are suggesting that if the deal were to be finalized, it would have implications beyond commercial aviation and be part of a wider trade agreement between the two countries.

Interestingly, Chinese airlines were also reported as potentially pursuing a 500-aircraft deal with Airbus. If Boeing is able to close this deal, the company stands to regain ground lost to Airbus in the Chinese market in recent years.

Complicating the matter even more is the recent emergence of the Chinese aircraft manufacturer Comac. It does not yet present a competitive threat to either Boeing or Airbus but that may change in the long run.

In the Chinese domestic market, the most popular Boeing is the 737-800 with 115,200 flights, and its most popular widebody is the 787-9 with 4,158 flights.

FMI:  www.boeing.com/