Hong Kong Airlines has signed a preliminary order for 32 Boeing 787s and six 777 freighters, while parent HNA Group separately negotiated with Airbus for A380s.

Pushing into another part of the aviation market, the executive-transport arm of the rapidly developing group has signed for five business jets from Gulfstream and five from Dassault.

The Boeing order, if confirmed, will be for 30 787-9s and two 787-8s, the latter in VIP configuration, plus the six 777Fs. Boeing says it is working with Hong Kong Airlines to finalize the agreement. The deal appears to represent a massive step-up in the HNA Group’s challenge to Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific, but it is not certain that all of the Boeing aircraft will be operated continuously by Hong Kong Airlines.

Mainland China imposes high taxes on aircraft imports, whereas Hong Kong does not, so there may be financial advantages to introducing aircraft into the group through Hong Kong Airlines. The group is also negotiating for A380s, says an industry source.

HNA’s largest airline subsidiary is Hainan Airlines. Its Beijing-based Capital Airlines, formerly Deerjet, is a charter operator of business aircraft.

In a ceremony at the Asian Aerospace exhibition in Hong Kong shared with the Hong Kong Airlines deal, Capital signed for five Dassault 7Xs, four Gulfstream 550s and one Gulfstream 450.