Despite headwinds related to the trade war between the United States and China, as well as the ongoing B737 MAX grounding, Boeing (BOE, Washington National) is in talks with unspecified Chinese airlines for a widebody order which could include 100 aircraft, Bloomberg has reported.

According to the news agency's sources, talks are ongoing but no order announcement is imminent. The focus of the negotiations is on the B777-9 type, although the smaller B777-8 is also of interest to the airlines. The carriers are also analysing B787 aircraft as an alternative to the B777X.

Chinese airlines will not place an order before receiving a green light from the government, which in turn is dependent on the political developments.

According to the ch-aviation fleets module, Boeing has not yet secured any firm orders for the B777X Family aircraft from mainland China, although Cathay Pacific signed up for twenty-one -9s. In terms of the current generation B777 units, there are now eighty-six aircraft active in China. Air China operates twenty-eight B777-300(ER)s, Air China Cargo - eight B777-Fs, China Cargo Airlines - six B777(F)s, China Eastern Airlines - twenty B777-300(ER)s, and China Southern Airlines - twelve -300(ER)s and twelve freighters.