On Thursday, Boeing delivered a 787 Dreamliner directly to a Chinese airline for the first time since November 2019, marking a significant milestone that could pave the way for deliveries of Boeing’s popular 737 Max.
The Boeing 787-9, destined for the privately owned Juneyao Airlines, left Boeing’s Everett, Washington, factory for Shanghai, according to the company.
The last new Boeing 787 delivery to a Chinese airline was in 2021, and it was made through a leasing company.
This delivery comes as China’s suspension of numerous pending 737 Max deliveries, Boeing’s top-selling jet, approaches its fifth year.
China had grounded the 737 Max in March 2019 following the second fatal crash involving the aircraft within a span of five months.
Other countries imposed similar bans, though the U.S. lifted its restriction in 2020, with other nations eventually following suit.
Boeing has been working to ramp up production and deliveries of new jets, as manufacturers typically receive a substantial portion of an aircraft’s price at the time of delivery.
According to Jefferies, over a third of Boeing’s inventory of approximately 250 Max planes is allocated to Chinese airlines. Some of the remaining Max planes have been remarketed to other carriers.
