New Boeing order expected soon

Boeing has announced it has reached a preliminary agreement with China over the sale of 80 narrow-body 737 airplanes. The deal, worth a total of US$4.6 billion at list prices but likely to involve a sizeable bulk buy discount, is expected to be finalized with individual Chinese airlines over the next few weeks. The order, a timely announcement ahead of President Hu Jintao's visit to the US, comes in addition to 70 planes China said it would buy from the US manufacturer in November. In December, it said it would purchase 150 Airbus SAS jets in a deal worth more than US$9 billion at list prices.