China Eastern Airlines Order 15 787-9 Dreamliners

Courtesy Boeing

SHANGHAI, /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] and China Eastern Airlines finalized an order for 15 787-9 Dreamliners. The order, valued at nearly $4 billion at current list prices, strengthens China Eastern’s expanding long-haul fleet.

“We are very happy to introduce the new 787 Dreamliners into our long-haul fleet,” said China Eastern Airlines Chairman Liu Shaoyong. “The addition of these next-generation, fuel-efficient airplanes will play a key role in supporting China Eastern’s strategy for international expansion, and enable us to realize profits in point-to-point routes across the Pacific Ocean, and between China and Europe.”

China Eastern plans to operate the new 787-9s on routes between China, North America and Europe, bolstering its competitiveness in the international long-haul market. With growing air traffic demand, the carrier plans to increase frequencies on existing routes from Shanghai to Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Toronto, as well as their newly launched destination, Chicago. The routes are currently operated by the airline’s flagship 777-300ER airplane.

The 787 family has proven to be an unmatched market opener, with more than 100 new nonstop routes already in service or announced, as well as an effective tool to increase frequency profitably, often in conjunction with the 777.

For China Eastern, operating both the 777 and 787 will allow the airline to continue growing its international presence with more capacity and cargo payload on key existing frequencies, while also providing the flexibility for further expansion in high-growth markets.

Headquartered in Shanghai, China Eastern Airlines is one of the three major airlines in mainland China. Flying a fleet of over 560 long-haul and short-haul airplanes with an average age of less than seven years, China Eastern serves nearly 100 million travelers annually and ranks the 7th largest carriers in the world in terms of passenger transportation volume.

Source Boeing / Edited By Airline Adviser 05/13/16