Air China Orders 15 Boeing Dreamliners
September 01, 2010 4:46 AM
Air China, China's flagship carrier, has ordered 15 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft from Boeing (NYSE: BA), a move that will boost Air China's capacity by 11%.
The Beijing-based carrier said the agreement to buy the Boeing planes replaces a previous 2005 agreement with the U.S. company to buy 15 787-8 aircraft, delivery of which was delayed by Boeing, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Boeing said last week that delivery of the Dreamliner will be delayed again due to problems with a Rolls Royce Plc engine. Japan's All Nippon Airways is scheduled to take delivery of the first Dreamliner in the middle of the first quarter next year.
The estimated cost of the planes is about $3 billion, but Air China said it was able to gain "significant" concessions from Boeing. Neither company disclosed the price paid for the planes.
China's airline carriers ordered a total of 60 Boeing 787s, each priced at about $200 million, according to the People's Daily Online.
China Southern Airlines (NYSE: ZNH) has ordered 10 Dreamliners.
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