Boeing wins 43 China wide-body orders worth $10 billion

HONG KONG — Boeing said Tuesday it has won orders from Chinese airlines for 43 wide-body planes with a list value of about $10 billion, including the first deal in a year for the delayed 747-8 jumbo jet.

Hong Kong Airlines agreed to buy 32 787 Dreamliners and six 777 freighters, Chicago-based Boeing said on its website. Air China said separately that it will order five 747-8s. Both accords were signed at the Hong Kong air show.

The orders underscore the importance to Boeing and Airbus SAS of China, where passenger numbers probably will jump 69 percent by 2015, according to the nation’s industry regulator. China will help the Asia-Pacific region account for a third of global plane deliveries over the next 20 years, Boeing said.

“Many airlines in this region are still thinking about growing capacity and China is the major market,” said Kelvin Lau, an analyst at Daiwa Institute of Research in Hong Kong. “Sentiment is very positive.”

Air China’s 747-8s will be delivered in 2014 and 2015, according to a statement from the Beijing-based carrier. It said it won “significant” discounts from the $1.54 billion list prices. Air China is the third airline worldwide to order the passenger plane and the first in China.

“It’s an important breakthrough for Boeing in the context of the 747-8 program and its role in Asia where A380 orders have been strong,” said Derek Sadubin, chief operating officer at Sydney-based consultant Centre for Asia-Pacific Aviation.

While Airbus has won 244 orders for its A380, Boeing’s previous total for the 747-8 Intercontinental passenger model was 33 in about five years as a yearlong delay and a slowdown in travel during the global recession damped demand for the company’s biggest-ever jet.

“As we look forward, we think we have a positive business case” for the 747-8, Randy Tinseth, Boeing’s commercial-jet marketing chief, said in a Bloomberg Television interview in Hong Kong. The company sees more sales opportunities as older 747s reach retirement age and as travel rebounds, he said.

Airlines and leasing companies typically pay less than list prices for aircraft. The 747-8 is Boeing’s most-expensive jetliner, listing for $317.5 million for the passenger model and $319.3 million for the freighter variant.

The first passenger 747-8 rolled out Feb. 13 from Boeing’s factory in Everett, Wash., and its maiden flight is scheduled for this month. The first delivery, to Deutsche Lufthansa, is set for later this year. The Cologne, Germany- based carrier ordered 20 747-8 Intercontinentals in December 2006. Korean Air ordered five more three years later. Eight others have been sold for use as VIP planes.

The Intercontinental, the fifth variant of the 747, stretches the iconic hump and carries about 467 passengers in a typical three-class configuration. It features new engines and a longer wing. The plane will be more efficient to operate and more comfortable for travelers, Air China said.