China Southern Airlines, the largest airline in Asia by fleet size, has announced its decision to sell all 10 of its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft and two spare GEnx-1B70/P2 engines. According to an official intent solicitation notice posted on its website, the sale will be conducted through open bidding. The aircraft, averaging a service life of over a decade , are expected to be delivered to the buyer between 2025 and 2026, pending board approval.
The move marks a significant shift in China Southern's fleet strategy and underscores the airline's focus on modernizing its widebody fleet. A strategic move to optimize fleet The 787-8 Dreamliner holds historical significance for China Southern. In 2013, the airline became the first in China to introduce this aircraft model, marking a milestone in the nation's aviation industry.
Initially deployed on long-haul and domestic trunk routes, the aircraft later became a staple of China Southern's Xinjiang operations. By 2018, the airline's Xinjiang branch managed six of the 10 787-8s, operating flights to major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu. According to atdb.
aero, all 10 Boeing 787-8 aircraft were delivered between 2013 and 2014, with the first delivered on May 30, 2013, and the last on June 16, 2014. However, the 787-8 has gradually been overshadowed by its larger sibling, the Boeing 787-9 . The 787-8, with its smaller passenger capacity and higher per-seat costs, is no longer as economically viable for airlines.
I.
