Boeing’s first direct delivery of a 787 Dreamliner to China since 2019 is set to land in Shanghai on Friday, a step that could hasten the end of China’s freeze on deliveries of the firm’s profitable 737 MAX after more than four years, reports Reuters. Privately owned Chinese carrier Juneyao Airlines on Thursday took delivery of the 787-9 aircraft, which Boeing said then departed for China from Everett Paine Field in Washington state.
The flight is set to land in Shanghai around 3:30 p.m. local time (0730 GMT), the airline said. China suspended most orders and deliveries of Boeing planes in 2019 after the 737 MAX was grounded worldwide following two fatal crashes.
A restart of MAX deliveries would represent a reset of Boeing’s relationship with China and create an opportunity for the company to offload dozens of planes in its inventory, and pave the way for a larger breakthrough in deliveries and orders.