A month after China Airlines announced its intention to replace its A330 fleet with the 787-9 Dreamliner, Boeing and the Taiwanese carrier entered into an agreement to acquire up to 24 aircraft, 16 of them on firm orders.
The other options could be converted to the higher-capacity version, 787-10, the company had said in August.
“We are excited to introduce the 787-9 Dreamliner into our operations as we continue to upgrade our fleet with more modern, fuel-efficient airplanes. Adding the state-of-the-art 787 will help us reduce carbon emissions, while also providing our customers with unmatched levels of comfort,” said China Airlines Chairman Hsieh Su-Chien.
“The 787’s superior fuel efficiency and range, combined with China Airlines’ existing fleet of 777-300ERs, will enable the carrier to grow efficiently and also expand its global route network,” said Ihssane Mounir, Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing .
Boeing also pointed out that the 787’s composite structures are advantageous for operations in hot and humid climates such as Taiwan, due to the absence of corrosion.
China Airlines now has 22 firm orders from Boeing, six of them for 777F freighters. The Asian country’s flag carrier is also a customer of Airbus A350-900.
