Boeing appears poised to secure one of its largest deals in years. President Trump is leading a trade summit in China with 18 major U.S. CEOs. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg has joined the delegation, which strongly suggests a deal is imminent. The anticipated order involves approximately 500 aircraft for China's three biggest carriers. Had Boeing maintained its presence in China, it would not have needed such a dramatic comeback.
The rumored order is expected to be heavily weighted toward the 737 MAX family. Each 737 MAX jet carries a list price of roughly $100 million. However, bulk orders of this magnitude are typically offered at significant discounts. To appreciate the scale, Boeing had expected to deliver only 52 of these jets by late 2025. Analyst Richard Safran has called the deal a virtual certainty.
Boeing's troubles in China began in March 2019 after two fatal crashes involving the 737 MAX. China's aviation authority was the first in the world to ground the aircraft. The resulting ban lasted four years, which was longer than in any other country. Boeing has not received a single new order from Beijing since 2017. During this prolonged freeze, rival Airbus capitalized on Boeing's absence by expanding its operations there.
China's commercial fleet is projected to nearly double to 10,000 planes by 2043. Both Boeing and Airbus forecast that China will become the world's largest aircraft market. If this deal is finalized, it could significantly accelerate Boeing's financial recovery. The aerospace giant had only shipped around 100 planes to China over seven years. Reclaiming this lucrative market would reshape the competitive dynamics of global aviation.