Boeing has resumed transporting new aircraft to China, according to published reports, with a 737 MAX jet leaving the U.S. on June 6 for delivery to Xiamen Airlines. The manufacturer has not corroborated the development, first reported by Reuters.
The news confirms a forecast made by Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg in late May, in remarks to an investor conference, that deliveries to China would begin again soon.
In April, several 737s were returned from the Boeing 737 Completion and Delivery Center in Zhoushan to the U.S. when Chinese carriers declined to take delivery of their orders, in response to the escalating tariff dispute between the U.S. and China. That impasse is now abating since the two countries agreed in May to pause the implementation of tariffs for 90 days and to engage in new trade negotiations.
The Chinese market is critical to Boeing’s revenue forecast, as airlines there represent an estimated 10% of the company’s order backlog.
The backlog totals 5,643 commercial jets, with an estimated value of approximately $460 billion, including several dozen 737 MAX aircraft booked for Chinese carriers.
737s destined for Chinese buyers are customarily transferred from Boeing’s domestic manufacturing site in Renton, Wash., to a final outfitting operation near Shanghai, before they are turned over to the buyer.
The Boeing 737 Completion and Delivery Center in Zhoushan is a joint venture between Boeing and Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China Ltd. (Comac.) Workers there install interior fixtures and paint liveries for 737 MAX airplanes bound for Chinese airlines customers.
The completed jets are handed over to Chinese airlines from a separate, Boeing-owned delivery center.
