Chinese airlines betting big on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Five Chinese carriers have committed to buying 57 of the new fuel-efficient, long-haul Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and three Chinese companies are producing parts and components for the new plane. Air China and China Eastern Airlines have each ordered 15 of the new planes. China Southern Airlines has ordered 10, Shanghai Airlines nine and Hainan Airlines eight. Boeing has won 677 orders for the Dreamliner, which means it will be sold out all the way till 2015. The news comes amid a new aviation pact that will significantly increase passenger and cargo flights between China and the US. It is estimated that the agreement will generate as much as US$5 billion in passenger and cargo revenues for the airline industry over the next six years, and as much as US$8 billion in new economic activity in the United States.
