Taiwanese carrier, China Airlines, has exercised its option to purchase eight Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
The airline, which is part of Sky Team, expects to receive the new jets from 2026.
In August 2022, China Airlines placed an order with Boeing for 16 787-9 passenger jets with singular GEnx engines.
The first 16 Dreamliners are expected to enter service from 2025 and will be used on regional and long-haul flights.
All 28 deliveries of the wide-body passenger aircraft will be completed in 2028.
“We are excited to introduce the 787-9 Dreamliner into our operations as we continue to upgrade our fleet with more modern, fuel-efficient airplanes, “ China Airlines chairman Hsieh Su-Chien has previously said.
He added: “Our continuous investment in fleet modernization is the cornerstone of our sustainability efforts. The 787’s best-in-cl ss efficiency and low operating costs will allow us to expand our network for years to come.”
Depending on a demand assessment, the order could see some of the 787-9 models being converted to 787-10s, which can carry more passengers.
The airline already operates a fleet of Boeing 777-300ER, Airbus A350-900 and Airbus A330-300 jets.
In 2022, when China Airlines made the first order Boeing said it would help the airline “expand its global route network”.
“This is a milestone order in our continuing partnership with China Airlines, and the market-leading efficiencies of the 787 will play an important role in furthering the airline’s sustainability efforts,” Boeing vice president of commercial sales and marketing, Ihssane Mounir said.