{"id":135349,"date":"2026-03-04T09:09:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T03:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=135349"},"modified":"2026-03-04T05:04:33","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T23:34:33","slug":"china-southern-offloads-10-boeing-787s-in-rare-online-auction-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/04\/china-southern-offloads-10-boeing-787s-in-rare-online-auction-deal\/","title":{"rendered":"China Southern Offloads 10 Boeing 787s in Rare Online Auction Deal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

GUANGZHOU-<\/strong> China Southern Airlines (CZ)<\/a> has agreed to sell its entire fleet of 10 Boeing 787-8 aircraft through an online auction process. The aircraft, averaging over 12 years in age and primarily based at \u00dcr\u00fcmqi Diwopu International Airport (URC), were delivered in 2013 and 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thai Airways (TG)<\/a> is widely expected to lease these same Boeing 787-8 jets, with planned deployment from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) as part of its accelerated widebody expansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: By AirportStudio – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=70087050<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

China Southern Boeing 787-8 Auction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

China Southern operates nearly 700 aircraft, making it China\u2019s largest airline by fleet size. Within that portfolio, the 10 Boeing 787-8<\/a> aircraft formed a small and aging subfleet. Each jet is configured with 266 seats, including 18 in business class and 248 in economy class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The airline has expressed dissatisfaction with the aircraft type. Management intends to concentrate on larger widebody aircraft with higher passenger capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the 787-8 offers strong range performance, China Southern\u2019s units do not feature the updated maximum takeoff weight available on newer variants. This reduces payload flexibility compared to more recent deliveries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, the airline launched a disposal initiative to further optimize its fleet structure. The process was suspended in early 2025 due to tariff related uncertainty affecting cross border aircraft transactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After several months, the sale resumed under a strict condition: the aircraft would be sold only as a complete package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The offering included all 10 aircraft plus two spare GE Aerospace GEnx-1B engines under an all or nothing structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The airline chose an online auction format, an unconventional approach for widebody aircraft transactions of this scale. The strategy required securing a single buyer willing to assume the entire portfolio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On February 27, 2026, Bohai Leasing signed a Master Sale and Purchase Agreement through its subsidiary Avolon for the 10 aircraft and two spare engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The estimated market value is approximately $532 million, with the final price determined through the exchange bidding mechanism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to OMAAT<\/a>, the structured auction reflects a decisive move toward fleet simplification and cost efficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: By Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia – China Southern Airlines, B-1167, Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, CC BY-SA 2.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=78133248<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fleet and Operational Background<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

China Southern\u2019s Boeing 787-8 aircraft have primarily operated from \u00dcr\u00fcmqi (URC) in western China. Despite its global scale, the airline\u2019s fleet remains heavily weighted toward narrowbody aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its widebody fleet, excluding the 787-8, includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n