Originally Posted by
number_6
The QF delivery slots are not so valuable, and by canceling the order QF immediately receives the delayed delivery compensation from Boeing (which would otherwise be a discount in the price, so not "received" by QF until years from now). I forget the dollar amount, but it is in the range of USD 400 million that QF gets in extra revenue this quarter ... so canceling the 787-9s and then re-ordering them next year is a hugely profitable exercise for the short term (and probably gets much the same delivery date). Meanwhile it also gets to hold the international fleet renewal hostage during union negotiations
That's pretty unlikely. They typical clause is you only get the delayed delivery compensation ( or most of it) if you keep the orders. Cancelling the orders, all bets are off.
But either way Boeing isn't to worried. Probably a net gain for them actually. It frees up some slots they can now sell, and they are no longer giving the discounts they did on launch of the program, so likely to get better prices.