Boston close to a deal with China airline

Hainan Airlines

Massport CEO Thomas Kinton Jr. said he expects a deal will be reached with Hainan Aviation Group soon and that direct, nonstop flights from Boston to China could be offered in 2010.

Kinton said Logan’s passenger numbers are down 5% to 6% this year and operations are down 20% percent compared to 1999 when landings and takeoffs were at its height.

The deal with Hainan Airline (which changed its name to Grand China Air) hinges on the ability to obtain Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.

Boeing is backed up in the production of the 787’s because of the huge demand for the fuel-efficient jets.

The Boston Business Journal previously reported that the flights would be daily, non-stop 13-hour, 20-minute flights. The nonstop service from Boston to China was a key goal of Gov. Deval Patrick’s trade mission when he visited China last December.
Source: Boston Business Journal