China

Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines has placed an order for 80 737s with Boeing.

The order is valued at $8.38bn at list prices and includes 30 next-generation 737s and 50 737 MAX jetliners.

The deal also includes 30 737 aircraft to be procured by Xiamen Airlines, a subsidiary of China Southern, totalling the aircraft order to 110, which is valued at $10bn.

The order for 30 Max models placed by Xiamen was earlier logged as unidentified orders, reported Bloomberg.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes Northeast Asia sales senior vice-president Ihssane Mounir said: "China Southern’s commitment is a solid endorsement of the popularity of the next-generation 737 and 737 MAX.

"China Southern’s commitment is a solid endorsement of the popularity of the next-generation 737 and 737 MAX."

"We share an enduring partnership with China Southern and we are excited to see that the 737 airplanes will play an important role in their continued success."

The 737 aircraft are expected to be delivered between 2017 and 2018 and the upgraded MAX 737 aircraft will be delivered between 2017 and 2021.

From 2016, China Southern will sell 16 narrow-body jets and 13 engines, as well as other aerospace components back to Boeing for $104m over three years. The airline stated that Boeing was expected to pay $1.9m.

By 2034, China Southern Airlines’s total aircraft fleet will increase to 7,210 from last year’s 2,570.

Separately, Boeing also finalised an order for the delivery of three additional next-generation 737-800s to Jet2.com, a subsidiary of UK’s Dart Group. The order is valued at $288m at current list prices.

In September, Jet2.com ordered 27 next-generation 737-800s. The carrier has an all-Boeing fleet of more than 60 airplanes.


Image: China Southern Airlines places order for 80 Boeing 737s. Photo: courtesy of Boeing.