Taiwan's China Airlines to buy 16 Boeing 787s in US$4.6 billion deal
FILE PHOTO: A passenger jet of Taiwan's China Airlines at Taipei Songshan Airport in Taipei, Taiwan, June 8, 2020.REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo/File Photo
Taiwan's China Airlines said on Tuesday (Aug 30) it would buy 16 Boeing Co 787 widebody planes to replace its ageing fleet of Airbus A330s following a widely-watched contest held against the backdrop of regional tensions.
The politically sensitive deal worth US$4.6 billion at list prices was announced by the government-backed carrier weeks after a visit to Taipei by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi angered Beijing and stoked Sino-US trade tensions.
Boeing, which is trying to rebuild its business in China, was seen as the front-runner but had been at pains to avoid using her visit to actively lobby for a 787 deal, industry sources told Reuters earlier this month.
