BEIJING (Agencies): China Southern Airlines has announced plans to sell its entire fleet of Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, marking a significant shift in the nation’s aviation strategy. The fleet, comprising 10 jets and two spare engines built between 2014 and 2015, is being offered for auction in Shanghai for $550 million. The move reflects China’s increasing efforts to reduce reliance on Western-made aircraft while modernizing its fleet.
China Southern Airlines, Asia’s largest airline by fleet size, has already retired its Airbus A380s and shifted focus toward narrow-body planes and domestically-produced jets. The Boeing 787-8s will be replaced with aircraft manufactured by China’s state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), further supporting the country’s growing aviation industry.
China has been actively developing its commercial aviation sector to compete with global manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus. COMAC’s flagship jet, the C919, entered commercial service in 2023 and has already secured over 1,000 orders, primarily from Chinese airlines. Plans are underway to scale production to 126 units annually by 2028. Additionally, COMAC’s regional jet, the ARJ21, has been operational since 2016, and the company is working on future projects such as wide-body jets like the C929 and C939.
The sale of the Boeing 787-8 fleet is aligned with China’s strategic goals to advance its indigenous aviation capabilities and reduce dependency on foreign manufacturers. This transition highlights China’s ambition to position itself as a major global player in commercial aviation. Further developments are expected as Chinese airlines continue to modernize their fleets and expand their reliance on domestically-produced aircraft.