Taiwan’s China Airlines has firmed its order for 16 Boeing 787-9 aircraft with options for another eight. The firmed-up order was announced by Boeing this afternoon and will allow the airline to cut CO2 emissions by up to 25%.
China Airlines first announced its intention to place this order on August 30th, meaning today’s announcement was not completely unexpected. However, it will be a welcome boost to the Boeing 787 program as the American aerospace giant recently resumed deliveries of the type after an extended hiatus.
16 orders, eight options
China Airlines today firmed its order for 16 Boeing 787-9s. Signing the order with Boeing, the airline also placed options for a further eight jets, should the need for them arise in the future. China Airlines intends that the order will replace its aging Airbus A330 fleet.
The order is intended to replace China Airlines’ Airbus A330 fleet. Photo: Getty Images
Commenting on the order, China Airlines Chairman Hsieh Su-Chien, remarked,
“Our continuous investment in fleet modernization is the cornerstone of our sustainability efforts. The 787’s best-in-class efficiency and low operating costs will allow us to expand our network for years to come.”
25% reduction in CO2?
China Airlines is marketing the Boeing 787 as a tool to increase its sustainability and believes that replacing its older Airbus A330s with a new and efficient jet will cut its emissions.
According to Boeing, the 787-9 Dreamliner produces 25% less CO2 than the aircraft it will replace. The American planemaker further notes that the family has so far reduced global aviation CO2 emissions by 80 billion lbs. The benefits don’t stop with the CO2 emissions, though – the aircraft also has an airport noise footprint 60% smaller than previous generation aircraft.
The aircraft is due to increase the efficiency of the China Airlines fleet. Photo: Tom Boon – Simple Flying
Growing the Boeing fleet
The portion of Boeing aircraft in the China Airlines fleet recently took a hit after the airline retired its last passenger Boeing 747s. The airline continues to operate double digits of freighter Boeing 747s and also uses passenger Boeing 737s and 777-300ERs.
The 787 Dreamliner isn’t the only Boeing aircraft the airline has on order. It has a total of 22 jets on order as things currently stand, with the other six orders for freighter Boeing 777s. Commenting on the order, Boeing’s Senior Vice President of Commercial Sales and Marketing, Ihssane Mounir, remarked,
“The 787’s superior fuel efficiency and range, combined with China Airlines’ existing fleet of 777-300ERs, will enable the carrier to grow efficiently and also expand its global route network. This is a milestone order in our continuing partnership with China Airlines, and the market-leading efficiencies of the 787 will play an important role in furthering the airline’s sustainability efforts.”
What do you make of China Airlines’ firmed Boeing 787-9 order? Let us know what you think and why in the comments below!
Source: simpleflying.com
