Boeing Resumes Aircraft Deliveries to China with Juneyao 787 Handover

Boeing Co. delivered a new 787-9 Dreamliner to China's Juneyao Airlines on Saturday, marking the resumption of deliveries to China after a suspension since April.

The delivery follows the U.S. planemaker's announcement in late May that it expected to restart deliveries to China this month. This became possible after both governments agreed to temporarily scale back tariffs related to their trade dispute for 90 days.

​Recovery Amid Challenges:​​

• ​India Incident:​​ This delivery occurred just two days after a Boeing 787-8 operated by Kuwait's Alafco Aviation (dry-leased to Kam Air) experienced an engine fire shortly after takeoff from Mumbai, India. There were no serious injuries among the 242 people on board. Boeing and Juneyao did not immediately comment to Reuters on the delivery report.
• ​Tariff Context:​​ Boeing paused new aircraft deliveries to China in April as trade tensions and tariffs escalated between the U.S. and China. The country is vital to Boeing, representing approximately 10% of its total commercial airplane backlog. Boeing had previously indicated Chinese customers were holding off on deliveries due to tariffs, potentially forcing it to resell dozens of aircraft.
• ​Diplomatic Progress:​​ The resumption aligns with progress in U.S.-China trade talks. Negotiators from Washington and Beijing concluded two days of discussions in London on Tuesday, agreeing on a framework covering tariff rates as part of their ongoing negotiations.
• ​Earlier Sign:​​ on Saturday, a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft painted in the livery of Xiamen Airlines was also seen landing in China, signalling that the delivery pipeline was reopening.

The handover to Juneyao Airlines is a tangible step towards normalizing Boeing's crucial relationship with the world's fastest-growing major aviation market.