China Airlines is closing in on a final decision on its long-haul fleet future, with reports suggesting the Taiwanese carrier may split a multi-billion dollar widebody purchase between Airbus and Boeing. The airline currently operates a mixed Airbus-Boeing fleet and has been sizing up the A350-1000 and 777X for its future long-haul fleet.
China Airlines set to buy both Airbus and Boeing widebodies
According to an exclusive report by Reuters, industry sources have suggested that China Airlines
is finalizing a decision on splitting its widebody acquisition between planemakers Airbus and Boeing. The Taiwanese airline is looking at ordering up to 20 widebody aircraft to renew and expand its long-haul fleet, and sources claim this will likely be split equally between Airbus and Boeing.
Photo: Falcons Spotters | Shutterstock
This would mean an order for 10 Airbus A350-1000s—the larger of the two A350 variants—and 10 Boeing 777Xs, the US planemaker’s new widebody, which recently had its certification timeline pushed back to 2026. The overall cost of the deal is estimated around the $4 billion mark, and the new fleet will primarily be used on routes connecting Taiwan with the US.
Photo: Thor Jorgen Udvang | Shutterstoc
China Airlines’ long-haul fleet currently consists of 15 Airbus A350-900s and ten Boeing 777-300ERs – its upcoming order will replace its ten 777s, which are by no means aging aircraft at between eight and ten years old. In 2022, the airline opted to replace its Airbus A330-300 fleet with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, ordering 16 787-9s, which was later increased to 24 aircraft (including six 787-8s) at the Paris Air Show in 2023.
The first of these 787s are scheduled to arrive at China Airlines next year. As for its future narrowbody fleet, the airline went with the Airbus A321neo to phase out its Boeing 737NG fleet.
Final decision awaits approval
The order will need to be confirmed by China Airlines’ board of directors, and there is also the prospect of a separate freighter order to consider. There have been suggestions that American political influence could sway China Airlines in its fleet selection, but China Airlines Chairman Hsieh Chien has denied this. According to an airline spokesperson, the carrier selects its fleet “based on market demand and corporate developments, and carefully studies the relevant technical and commercial conditions to select the most appropriate aircraft type.“
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
The timing of its order follows the US presidential election on November 5th, which saw former President Donald Trump reelected. During his presidency, Trump maintained strong relations with Taiwan, which the government in Taipei will be keen to solidify.
Related
What Are The Main Differences Between The Airbus A350-900 & A350-1000?
For airlines, the difference is more about the capacity, especially in the premium cabin, rather than the range differential.
Both the A350-1000 and 777X continue to attract strong interest from customers around the globe. Since its debut passenger flight in 2015, the Airbus A350 program has attracted 1,340 orders (including 55 for the A350F), with most of these for the smaller -900 (983). Boeing’s 777X has faced several setbacks, with its certification date now pushed back to 2026 – nonetheless, airlines are still demonstrating confidence in the aircraft, which has garnered over 500 orders (including 55 for the 777F).