In what was viewed as an important breakthrough for Boeing and its long-troubled 747-8 program, the Chicago-based company won orders from Chinese airlines for 43 wide-body planes. It marked the first deal in a year for the delayed 747- 8 jumbo jet.
The list value: about US$10 billion.
Hong Kong Airlines agreed to buy 32 787 Dreamliners and six 777 freighters, Chicago-based Boeing said on its website. Air China Ltd. said separately that it will order five 747-8s.
“The orders underscore the importance to Boeing and Airbus SAS of China, where passenger numbers probably will jump 69 percent by 2015, according to the nation’s industry regulator,” Bloomberg reported.
China will help the Asia-Pacific region account for a third of global plane deliveries over the next 20 years, Boeing said.
“It’s an important breakthrough for Boeing in the context of the 747-8 program and its role in Asia where A380 orders have been strong,” Derek Sadubin, chief operating officer at Sydney-based consultant Centre for Asia-Pacific Aviation, told Bloomberg.
While Airbus has won 244 orders for its A380, Boeing’s previous total for the 747-8 Intercontinental passenger model was 33 in about five years. The reasons involved a yearlong delay and a slowdown in travel during the global recession.
“As we look forward, we think we have a positive business case” for the 747-8, Randy Tinseth, Boeing’s commercial-jet marketing chief, said in a Bloomberg Television interview in Hong Kong.
The company sees more sales opportunities as older 747s reach retirement age and as travel rebounds, he said.
By David Wilkening
