Boeing close to deal to supply more 787 Dreamliners to Japan’s ANA: sources

SEATTLE (Reuters) – Boeing Co is close to a deal to supply more 787 Dreamliners to Japan’s ANA Holdings Inc <9202.T> in what would be the U.S. planemaker’s first commercial order announcement so far this year, industry sources said.

The deal for the General Electric-powered aircraft is a boost for the U.S. planemaker after it posted no January orders for the first time in decades while wrestling with the grounding of its smaller 737 MAX.

Further details were not immediately available. Boeing declined to comment and ANA did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

ANA, which was the launch customer for the 787 programme in 2011, operates all three models of the plane, the 787-8, 787-9 and 787-10. It has 71 of the planes in its fleet, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

ANA uses Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC engines to power its existing 787 fleet. However, problems with those engines requiring extra inspections led the Japanese carrier to cancel hundreds of flights in 2018.

Air New Zealand Ltd , also a Rolls-Royce customer for its 787 fleet, last year ordered GE engines for its latest order of eight planes, meaning it will operate both types in the future.

(Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; additional reporting by Jamie Freed in Sydney Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Himani Sarkar)