China Airlines has announced a new order for Boeing's 777X models, marking the carrier as the latest customer for this aircraft. The order includes ten 777-9 passenger planes and four 777-8 freighter airplanes. This makes China Airlines the first in Taiwan to choose the fuel-efficient 777X model, which will be used on long-haul routes to North America and Europe.
The firm order was initially booked in March 2025 but was listed as unidentified on Boeing's orders website. Alongside this commitment, China Airlines has options to purchase an additional five 777-9s and four 777-8 freighters. This decision places China Airlines among a select group of global airlines investing in both passenger and freighter variants of the 777X family.
"As a long-time operator of the 777-300ER and 777 Freighter, we are excited to welcome Boeing's newest 777X family into our world-class fleet," said Kao Shing-Hwang, chairman of China Airlines. He highlighted that "the advanced technology and features of the 777-9 will provide our customers with the best-in-class flying experience," while emphasizing that "the 777-8 Freighter's range and fuel-efficiency will enable us to maintain a leadership position in air cargo."
The Boeing 777-9 is noted for its ability to offer lower fuel use and emissions by about 20% compared to previous models it replaces. It also boasts a capacity of carrying up to 426 passengers in a two-class configuration over distances reaching up to approximately 7,295 nautical miles (13,510 km).
"The 777X will enable us to deliver an enhanced travel experience and greater reliability for our customers," added Chen Han-Ming, president of China Airlines.
In line with its current fleet renewal strategy, China Airlines plans to integrate the new twin-engine freighters from Boeing due to their significant improvements in fuel efficiency, emissions reduction, and noise footprint compared to older models.
Brad McMullen, Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing expressed satisfaction with this continued partnership: "As we welcome China Airlines to the 777X customer family, we are pleased to build on our nearly 60-year partnership that traces back to the 707 and 727."
With more than 520 orders worldwide for the new model series so far, these aircraft support thousands of jobs at Boeing’s Everett site in Washington State as well as throughout its supply chain network globally.
"Operating the 777-9 and the 777-8 Freighter will allow China Airlines to add capacity and position the airline for further growth going forward," stated Dan Schull, vice president at Boeing responsible for commercial sales within Northeast Asia.
Boeing continues its role as a leading aerospace manufacturer based out of America involved extensively across multiple sectors including defense products alongside commercial aviation development—fostering opportunities economically while remaining committed towards sustainable practices adhering strictly toward safety standards internally upheld through organizational culture values like quality assurance paired against integrity measures consistently reinforced company-wide.