Boeing has flown a 737-700 from China to the US to bring back 540,000 medical-grade face masks to help health workers in New Hampshire during the coronavirus crisis.
Additional airlift transport missions with the Boeing Dreamlifter and ecoDemonstrator are planned in the future. Boeing is co-ordinating closely with US government officials on how to best assist areas with the greatest need.
As this mission picks up equipment from China, Boeing has also seen further setbacks to its 737 MAX program in the country.
China’s CDB Financial Leasing has revealed that it has agreed with Boeing to cancel the purchase of 29 undelivered 737 MAX jets, adding to a string of recent cancellations of the grounded airplane.
The model has been grounded since two deadly crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia, and the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed tests and certification processes to have the model approved for flight once again.
“In light of evolving aviation market dynamics, we’ve been working together with Boeing over many months to re-calibrate our MAX orderbook to be in line with our long-term view of the market and related opportunities,” Xuedong Wang, chairman of CDB Financial unit CDB Aviation, said in a statement.
CDB has retained orders for 70 aircraft that are yet to be delivered despite the cancellation. Boeing has experienced 150 737 MAX cancellations in March alone.
