Boeing has refuted a report by a state-media outlet in China that the aircraft builder had resumed deliveries of new jets to that country. While Boeing was cleared to resume deliveries of new aircraft to China earlier this year, and reportedly has delivered 22 new jets there during 2024, in May it announced that the Civil Aviation Administration of China has implemented a new review of its products citing concerns about the battery powering the jets’ new 25-hour cockpit voice recorders.
SZTV News in Shenzhen reported that Boeing China President Alvin Liu told an aviation industry forum in China that the deliveries had progressed lately, but after the report was recirculated in English-language media, Boeing asserted that its jet deliveries to China remain stalled.
New aircraft deliveries is an index to revenue for aircraft builders like Boeing, and the ongoing slowdown of its 737 MAX assembly line has impacted its earnings.
In addition, Boeing’s China deliveries have been the sore point in U.S.-China trade, and may be returning to that status. China delayed restoring the 737 MAX to airworthiness certification well after the narrow-body series had returned to regular service elsewhere in the world.
Once the 737 MAX jets in service with Chinese carriers had been cleared to resume service, the delivery of new Boeing jets had been delayed until 2023.
Boeing’s website lists 119 outstanding orders on its books for 737 MAX aircraft for customers in China, and 12 unfilled orders for 787 Dreamliner customers in that country.
The 25-hour cockpit voice recorder has been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration and European regulators. Last month the U.S. Congress endorsed regulations mandating the 25-hour recorder on future aircraft.
