IN A SIGN OF gradual thawing of relations between Washington and Beijing, Air China has ordered three Boeing 747-400s, while McDonnell Douglas (MDC) has agreed to deliver its first MD-90 TrunkLiner to China Northern.
The three new Boeing 747-400s are scheduled for delivery in May and August 1997 and July 1998. The aircraft join eight other 747-400s already operated by the Chinese flag carrier and will be used on routes to Europe and the USA.
Boeing had planned to sign a larger deal with Air China, to include ten Boeing 777s and 15 737s, but that was put on ice by a deterioration in relations, between the USA and China. The three 747-400s are urgently needed by the airline, which brought the order forward.
In the meantime, MDC has reached an agreement allowing the first of 11 MD-90 twinjets to be delivered to China Northern on 1 August. The MD-90 forms part of an order for 20 aircraft, for which China has not yet signed or paid, because of the state of political relations with the USA (Flight International, 20-26 March, P5).
It is unclear what agreement has been reached, with China to allow the first delivery to proceed.
Source: Flight International
