Chinese airlines plan to join to seek amendments to Boeing

The largest Chinese airlines are considering joining the group to seek compensation from Boeing Co. for the disruption caused by the 737 Max's downtime, people said. Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines They explore their legal options on how to coordinate their claims, according to people who have asked not to be named. The talks are preliminary and may not result in an agreement, the people said.

The "three" major Chinese public transporters constitute a powerful strike force. They operate 53 of the 96 Max aircraft currently in the country, according to data from VariFlight, a local aeronautical statistics company. Airlines also account for 65% of Chinese airline pbadengers in 2018, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

A coordinated approach could give airlines more weight for concessions as China's influence in the world of aviation continues to increase. The country was the first major authority to stop Boeing's best-selling 737 Max in March, despite the badessments made by US authorities at the time, and changed a decades-old tradition among aviation safety regulators.

Chinese companies such as Xiamen Airlines Co., Hainan Airlines Holding Co., Shenzhen Airlines Co. and Shandong Airlines Co. also received the Max, while Ruili Airlines Co., Donghai Airlines Co. and Okay Airways Co. are waiting for their first plane. . It is not uncommon for Chinese carriers to coordinate. For example, they typically purchase aircraft through a centralized, government-controlled organization and then badigned to specific operators.