Has Boeing finally survived the freezing point?The 737 MAX is expected to return to the skies of China, with mainland airlines expected to take delivery of the first 787 in four years
Is Boeing, the former giant, really going to make a big change in business in the Chinese sky today?Hearing that the 737 MAX is expected to return to our blue skies, mainland airlines are even expected to take delivery of the first 787 in four yearsThe news sounded like a breath of fresh air, giving Boeing's business in China a chance to get back on its feet.
The story began on Dec. 20, when The Air Current broke the news that Boeing had received a key clearance from Chinese regulators, marking the first major step toward delivering a 737 MAX to China for the first time in more than four years. Oh my God, it's an industry!The story behind it is even more tortuous.
A meeting between Hu Zhenjiang, deputy director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and Mike Fleming, senior vice president of Boeing Civil Aircraft, was a key part of the process. Hu Zhenjiang said that the size of China's civil aviation fleet will continue to grow rapidly, and welcomed Boeing's continued development in the Chinese market. This is like giving Boeing a "booster", as if announcing Boeing's recovery in China.
Even more encouragingly, according to anonymous sources cited by Airflow, the permission was given on the day of the Dec. 8 meeting. In other words, at the Sino-US summit, perhaps Boeing's future recovery in the Chinese market has already been discussed. This is no small matter, this is the first time in four years!At the time, it was reported that China might discuss the resumption of Boeing aircraft purchases and deliveries of Boeing aircraft at the meeting. The news of this news is like lighting a fire for Boeing's business in China, and it is boiling for a while, and netizens are constantly hotly discussed.
Take a look at the comment of this netizen "Flying Maniac": "Finally waited for this day!Boeing has been in the frozen land for four years, and now it finally has the opportunity to soar in the skies of China!So excited!This is the voice of most flying friends, after all, Boeing's position in the Chinese market has always been highly anticipated, and this news can be regarded as a full surprise for everyone.
However, the truth is not always as one wishes. Despite all these positive signs, we still have to be somewhat rational about the news. In fact, there have been early signs that Chinese mainland will regain its hands on Boeing aircraft. Both Air China and China Eastern Airlines mentioned in their 2023 semi-annual reports that they will resume the introduction of 737 family aircraft in the second half of the year. Air China is expected to receive 12 aircraft, and China Eastern Airlines is expected to receive 2 aircraft.
However, throughout July to November 2023, the two airlines did not reintroduce the 737 MAX aircraft. It's a bit confusing, could it be that it's just a superficial show?On December 20, a 737 MAX aircraft designated for China Southern Airlines flew from Boeing Airport in Seattle, USA, to another Boeing airport in Washington state, and returned that afternoon, according to FlightRadar24 flight tracking**. This is a big move, which has caused speculation in the industry for a while.
Times Finance interviewed China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines, and China Eastern Airlines responded: "There is no relevant news to release at present." China Southern Airlines did not have a clear response. It makes people wonder if everything is as good as it seems
However, that's not all. Just when the outside world was hotly discussing the 737 MAX, foreign media said on December 21** that some mainland airlines would receive a 787 aircraft in the near future. This is a wide-body model, commonly known as a "large aircraft", which is operated by many domestic airlines. Some industry insiders revealed to Times Finance that Boeing has delivered a 787 aircraft to Chinese mainland users in Seattle, and is currently preparing to transfer the aircraft back to China, and the specific news will be released soon.
As the news broke, Boeing's U.S. stock rose nearly 2% pre-market. Since the beginning of this year, Boeing's stock price has accumulated more than 36%. This is not a small amount, which shows that the market is full of expectations for Boeing's development in the Chinese market. Boeing told Times Finance earlier that it is very much looking forward to the progress in China in 2024.
These signs seem to paint a bright future for Boeing's business in China. Boeing, a once-glamorous name, seems to have finally ushered in spring after a trough.
Overall, the future of Boeing's business in China remains uncertain. Despite a series of positive signs, we still need to be somewhat rational about the news. With the rapid development of the Chinese market, Boeing is expected to regain its wings in this blue sky. Let's wait and see if Boeing can really survive the freezing point and usher in a new peak of development.