The Seattle Times reports that China’s various airlines have ordered an additional 42 Boeing 787 planes for their various airlines: Air China, China Eastern Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, and Xiamen Airline. In January, six Chinese airlines signed an agreement to order 60 787s for $7.2 billion. This latest announcement comes as Chinese President Hu Jintao begins his visit to the United States with a stop in Seattle.
To date, Boeing has received 185 firm orders and 91 additional commitments for the long-range 787.
Both Boeing and Airbus have boosted sales efforts in China, where airlines have made a series of major aircraft purchases in recent years as they build up fleets.
Boeing says it expects China’s airlines to spend $183 billion on aircraft over the next two decades as its 1.3 billion increasingly prosperous citizens take to air travel.
