Boeing delivers B787 Dreamliner to Juneyao Airlines

U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing delivered a new B787 Dreamliner plane to Chinese private carrier Juneyao Airlines on Thursday in Seattle, the plane maker's first delivery of wide-body aircraft to Chinese mainland carriers in nearly three years.

The B787-9 aircraft, which took off after the delivery from Paine Field in Everett, the United States, is expected to arrive at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on Friday afternoon, Boeing said.

"The new delivery indicates that Boeing's global delivery capability of the B787 model has been further restored, and new aircraft has been delivered to customers worldwide," said Lin Zhijie, an aviation industry analyst.

"Besides, as the first delivery of the B787 in China in nearly three years, it also shows that China's international travel market is gradually recovering, and this is a milestone," Lin said.

Boeing said it will continue to support its customers in China and will be ready to deliver for customers when that time comes.

"This is the seventh B787 plane that we delivered to Juneyao Airlines. We believe that it will continue to help the carrier to expand its international network," said Peter Gao, Boeing vice-president for China commercial sales and marketing.

China's air travel market has been on a steady track of recovery since the country optimized its COVID-19 response measures late last year. This year, the country is expected to handle about 620 million air passenger trips, up 146 percent year-on-year, according to the projection of Flight Master, an intelligent travel services platform in China.

The delivery of the new B787 aircraft also indicates Shanghai-based Juneyao Airlines' goal to revitalize its growth in the international market, it said.

After taking the new delivery, Juneyao Airlines boasts a fleet size of 92 aircraft. The carrier said it would further optimize its route network based on passenger demand and market response.

"After three years, we resumed taking the delivery of new B787 aircraft again. It will help provide sufficient capacity guarantee for the growth of our international long-haul routes," said Wang Junjin, president of Juneyao Airlines.

In April 2024, the carrier will launch flights that connect Shanghai Pudong with Athens, Greece, and is considering launching more flights connecting China with cities in Europe and the United States. By the end of 2024, it will finish taking the deliveries of 10 B787 planes, it said.

The orders and deliveries of Boeing aircraft to Chinese carriers have been largely suspended after two fatal crashes of the single-aisle B737 MAX in 2018 and 2019.

The aircraft model resumed flying in late 2020, and it has resumed commercial operation in most parts of the world, including in China. Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines resumed operation of the B737 MAX for commercial domestic flights in January, marking the model's return to the sky.