China's Okay Airways orders five Boeing Dreamliners for $1.4 bn

Boeing and China's first privately owned airline, Okay Airways, have finalised a $1.4-billion order for five Dreamliner jets, the two companies said on Thursday.

The purchase of the five 787-9 long-haul aircraft by the Beijing-based airline was signed off in the United States on Wednesday and announced on Thursday via the companies' official accounts on Chinese microblogging site, Weibo.

Okay Airways currently has a fleet of 26 single-corridor Boeing 737 planes, which fly to 70 destinations in China and elsewhere in Asia.

The Chinese company had signed a preliminary agreement to buy the planes back in June, when it has also made a firm order for 15 medium-sized 737 MAX planes at a catalogue price of $1.8 billion.

"We are committed to investing in our aircraft fleet in order to keep growing ahead of the market and enhancing our customers' flying experience," said Okay Airways president Li Zongling, according to China's official news agency Xinhua.

He added that the order would strengthen the airline's plans to expand into the long-haul market.

Chinese companies are on the whole profiting from the country's spectacular rate of aviation expansion, fuelled by a growing middle class and a rapidly developing tourism industry.

But competition on international routes is becoming more intense, with China's three airlines -- Air China, China Southern and China Eastern -- fighting it out to lead the sector.

jug/kaf/spm

BOEING

Weibo

China Southern Airlines

AIR CHINA

Massive search expands for US sailors after Philippine Sea air crash
Tokyo (AFP) Nov 23, 2017
Eight warships joined a US aircraft carrier and scores of helicopters and planes Thursday to search for three American sailors who went missing after their plane crashed in the Philippine Sea. The families of the missing sailors were notified after a C-2A "Greyhound" aircraft with 11 people on board went down Wednesday afternoon around 930 kilometres (500 nautical miles) southeast of Okinawa ... read more

Related Links
Aerospace News at SpaceMart.com

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal