Air TransportBoeing is negotiating a major aircraft order with China that could include up to 600 jets, according to Bloomberg.
The potential agreement would cover as many as 500 737 MAX narrowbody aircraft and about 100 widebody jets from the 787 Dreamliner and 777X families. The deal could be announced during a planned visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to Beijing in early April.
Talks are still underway and key details remain unresolved, meaning the final size and timing of the order could change.
If confirmed, the purchase would represent Boeing’s first major aircraft order from Chinese airlines in nearly a decade. China was once one of the U.S. manufacturer’s most important markets, accounting for roughly a quarter of its order backlog in the 2010s.
That position has weakened in recent years amid trade tensions between Washington and Beijing and regulatory disruptions that slowed deliveries of Boeing aircraft to Chinese carriers. Airbus has strengthened its presence in the country during that period, helped by its A320 family final assembly line in Tianjin, which allows the European manufacturer to deliver aircraft assembled locally.
Despite the political and industrial friction, China remains one of the world’s largest aviation markets and continues to require large numbers of new aircraft. Industry estimates suggest Chinese airlines may need around 1,000 additional imported jets over the coming years to sustain growth and replace ageing fleets.
Production of the C919 remains limited
Domestic manufacturing has yet to fill that gap. China’s state-owned manufacturer COMAC has begun operating the C919 narrowbody jet, designed to compete with aircraft such as the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320neo. However, production of the aircraft remains limited and the company has faced difficulties increasing output.
That constraint has left Chinese airlines reliant on foreign aircraft manufacturers to meet demand in the near term.
Reports have also indicated that China has explored a separate large aircraft order with Airbus in recent years, though negotiations have fluctuated and no agreement has been finalized.
Any large purchase of Western aircraft is widely seen as linked to political relations between Beijing and Washington. Trump is expected to visit China between March 31 and April 2, while Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to travel to the United States later this year.
Major aircraft orders have historically accompanied high-level diplomatic visits, particularly when aviation trade plays a role in economic negotiations between the two countries.
