Freight China Airlines orders six Boeing 777 Freighters
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing and carrier China Airlines have announced that the airline will soon add six Boeing 777 Freighters to its growing cargo fleet.
An agreement has been finalized between Boeing and China Airlines over the purchase of six 777 Freighters. The carrier seeks to furthermore modernize its cargo fleet. Currently, China Airlines Cargo operates with aging B747 aircraft.
The order is approximately valued at US$2.1 billion, according to current list prices. In June 2019, at Paris Air Show, China Airlines announced its initial intent to purchase the aircraft. Now, this intent has been converted into a firm order.
"Air cargo is an important part of our overall business and the introduction of these new 777 Freighters will play an integral role in our long-term growth strategy," said China Airlines Chairman Hsieh Su-Chien. "As we transition our freighter fleet to the 777Fs, this will enable us to deliver world-class services to our customers more efficiently and reliably."
"As China Airlines celebrates more than half a century of success, Boeing is honored to continue playing an integral role in its growth and expansion. With this order China Airlines will join an elite group of global air cargo operators operating new 777 Freighters," said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing for The Boeing Company. "With the global air freight market forecasted to double over the next 20 years, the 777 Freighter's market-leading capabilities and economics will help China Airlines extend their network and grow their future cargo business."
China Airlines hopes to launch cargo flights between Taipei and North America in the near future. The B777 Freighters could help the airline to optimize its efficiency. Furthermore, the aircraft have the largest and longest range of any twin-engine freighter in the industry.
The aircraft can fly trans-Pacific missions that are over 6,000 nautical miles long with 20 percent more payload than other large freighters like the 747F, Boeing stated. China Airlines will benefit from the maximum payload of 102 tons, because the carrier does not need to make additional stops on long-haul routes. Boeing added in a statement: “As a result, it will provide China Airlines and other operators with the lowest trip cost of any large freighter and deliver superior ton-per-mile economics. In addition, the 777 Freighter features market-leading capacity for a twin-engine freighter, accommodating 27 standard pallets, measuring 96 inches by 125 inches (2.5 m x 3 m) on the main deck. This allows for lower cargo handling costs and shorter cargo delivery times.”
China Airlines is one of the largest carriers in China and was founded in December 1959. The carrier has its main hub at Taipei Taoyuan and additional bases in Kaohsiung, Hong Kong and Bangkok. Currently, the 88 aircraft strong fleet consists of 23 Airbus A330s, 14 A350 XWBs, 18 Boeing 737s, 23 Boeing 747s and 10 Boeing 777s.
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