Boeing has once again delivered a commercial aircraft to a Chinese airline, something that has not happened since 2021. The US plane manufacturer sent a 787-9 Dreamliner to Juneyao Airlines on Thursday, December 21, as was rumored.
The Shanghai-based carrier has six aircraft of the type and another four pending delivery, but since the grounding of the 737 MAX in 2019, Boeing has had plane shipments to China suspended by local authorities.
Until recently, the 737 MAX was banned from flying in the country, but the CAAC (Civil Aviation Administration of China) decided to release the aircraft. Still, deliveries of the narrow-body jet have not resumed for now, something that is expected soon.
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In the meantime, relations between the governments of the United States and China have become strained amid trade accusations. Only months ago, senior officials from both countries returned to more friendly meetings, which would have contributed to easing restrictions.
According to data from FlightRadar24, the Juneyao Air Boeing 787-9, registration B-20EQ, took off at 11:24 am (local time) from Everett, Washington, bound for Shanghai.
Juneyao Air was founded in 2006 and is a private airline, unlike most Chinese carriers, which are controlled by the communist government.
The company’s fleet comprises 91 aircraft, including six Boeing 787s, 48 Airbus A320s and 37 A321s. Its flight network is concentrated in China, but there are routes to Southeast Asia, Japan and Europe.
Boeing claims that the Chinese market will account for 20% of global aircraft demand by 2042.
Although part of future orders are expected to be filled by local ARJ21, C919 and C929 jets, Western manufacturers are expected to continue to play an important role in supplying new aircraft.
