China Airlines studies Airbus, Boeing widebodies to renew fleet

China Airlines is choosing between Boeing’s yet-to-be certified 777X and the largest variant of Airbus SE’s A350 as it looks to retire existing long-haul jets, its president Kao Shing-Hwang said. “We are looking for a new fleet” to replace the 10 Boeing 777-300ER it currently operates, Kao told Bloomberg Television in an interview. Taiwan’s main airline is exploring Boeing’s upgraded 777 or the Airbus A350-1000, Kao said, without specifying a timetable for the upgrade. Boeing previously won a deal for 16 787-9 Dreamliners from Taiwan’s main airline. At the Paris Air Show in June, it ordered eight more jets, and converted six to the larger -10 high-capacity planes. The US planemaker could do with a boost to a sluggish order book for its delayed 777X flagship jet, even as its smaller 787 remains popular. Airbus, meanwhile, has continued to pick up a steady stream of orders for its largest twin-aisle aircraft, most recently from Qantas Airways. Kao said the company will have a better sense of the required units once the number of 787-10s is decided. The airline operates more than 85 aircraft, including 23 freighter jets. China Airlines’s 10 777-300ERs average about 8.3 years in age. It also flies the Airbus A350-900. The government-backed company has benefited from higher fares as air travel comes back. Kao predicted that ticket prices will continue to rise, not least as charges mount for more sustainable flying. <br/>