Xiamen Airlines Celebrates 100th Boeing Airplane in Its All-Boeing Fleet

Milestone delivery testifies to rapid development of China's airline sector

SEATTLE and XIAMEN, China, Nov. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- On Nov. 12 in Seattle, Boeing delivered a brand new 737-800 airplane to Xiamen Airlines, a SkyTeam member. It is the 100th plane in the airline's all-Boeing fleet.

Ribbon cutters (from the left to the right): Raymond Conner, President of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Inc., Che Shanglun, Chairman and General Manager of Xiamen Airlines and head of International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC)

Xiamen Airlines commenced service in 1985 with two Boeing 737-200s serving three cities. The carrier is now China's sixth-largest, serving 218 domestic routes as well as 26 international and regional routes. With delivery of the Boeing 737-800, Xiamen Airlines' fleet now consists of 100 aircraft. It is China's only all-Boeing fleet and one of the world's youngest, with an average age of 5.08 years.

"Having an all-Boeing fleet is a key component of our growth strategy and our ability to achieve 27 consecutive years of profitability," said Che Shanglun, president and chairman of Xiamen Airlines. "With excellent reliability, operational efficiency and long range, Boeing's planes have enabled us to expand our network internationally."

"Xiamen Airlines is a valued customer of the Boeing Company and we are delighted to see their remarkable growth over the past 29 years," said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of sales for Northeast Asia, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We look forward to continuing our longstanding partnership by providing more value with our industry-leading products and services."

Over the next two years, Xiamen Airlines plans to add 30 more B737-800s and six more B787s, expanding its fleet to 136 airplanes, and to expand globally by gradually forming a route network that radiates across the Asia Pacific region and connects with Europe and the U.S.

Xiamen Airlines' expects to keep growing of its Boeing fleet beyond 2016. The carrier has just signed Letters of Request to buy 70 B737NGs and B737MAXs. By 2020, the fleet will grow to more than 200 airplanes.

Xiamen Airlines' rapid growth is a testament to the tremendous growth of China's airline business. In 1972, China established the Civil Aviation Administration of China ("CAAC") as the only player in aviation, with only nine registered aircraft in the fleet. At the end of 2012, China had more than 40 airlines, with an industry-wide fleet exceeding 2,000 aircraft.

Boeing projects investments of nearly $800 billion in China for the purchase of 5,580 new commercial aircraft during the next 20 years. It would account for 16% of global demand, and reflects an average requirement of nearly 200 single-aisle and over 60 wide-body aircraft each year.