Airlines Xiamen Airlines receives first Boeing 737 MAX 8

The delivery of Xiamen´s first Boeing 737 MAX 8 from the Boeing production facility in Seattle, also symbolizes the delivery of the 200th Boeing jet for the carrier. Xiamen Airlines has doubled its fleet size in the last five years and still plans to further expand its operations, both on international and domestic level.

Che Shanglun, chairman of Xiamen Airlines, commented: “The addition of the new Boeing 737 MAX is a major milestone for Xiamen Airlines as we execute our development roadmap [...] We plan to expand our fleet to 568 airplanes by 2035, and evolve into a competitive world-class airline serving the globe, doing our part in helping China build a human community with shared destiny.”

Xiamen Airlines started operations with two leased Boeing 737s and now serves over 400 destinations in Europe, Asia, China, Oceania and North America. The carrier operates with an all-Boeing fleet, while being a Boeing customer for over 31 years.

Kevin McAllister, Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “Xiamen Airlines has achieved incredible success and Boeing is extremely proud to have been their partner from day one [...] The delivery of the first 737 MAX to Xiamen builds on a partnership that has spanned three decades and signals the beginning of an even brighter future together. We are confident the MAX will help Xiamen fly farther, improve fuel efficiency and provide greater comfort for their passengers.”

The carrier received its 100th Boeing aircraft in November 2013 and expects to receive the new Boeing 737 MAX 10 in the coming years. Xiamen Airlines is one of the launch customers of the MAX 10. According to Boeing, the 737 MAX is the fastest-selling aircraft in its history. 4500 orders have been made by 100 worldwide customers.

Altogether, Xiamen expects to take delivery of 20 Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 10 Boeing 737 MAX 9 in order to modernize its fleet.

Xiamen Airlines was founded in 1984 and is a Chinese passenger airline based in Xiamen, which is located in the Fujian Province. The carrier has established hubs at the airports of Xiamen, Fuzhou and Hangzhou. Its fleet measures 163 aircraft, including eight Boeing 737-700s, 139 Boeing 737-800s, one Boeing 737 MAX 8, four Boeing 757-200s, as well as six Boeing 787-800s and six Boeing 787-900s.