Boeing delivers 800th plane to China - a 737 to Air China

THE Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and Air China recently celebrated the delivery of the 800th Boeing aircraft for China - a Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 to Air China.
"Boeing and China have had a long-standing and productive partnership since 1972," said CAAC deputy administrator Wang Changshun. "We hope we will continue to further strengthen this win-win partnership. CAAC and Boeing have broad cooperation in safety, flight standards, airworthiness and new technologies."
In 1972, CAAC ordered 10 Boeing 707s, establishing it as a major world airline. Today, Boeing jets are the mainstay of China's air travel and cargo system. More than 50 per cent of all the commercial jetliners operating in China are Boeing aircraft.
"The history of working together between Boeing and Air China dates back to 37 years ago. We have created a mutual benefit through our long-term partnership," said Air China vice president Zhang Lan.
Air China, China's flag air carrier, is the largest airline in mainland China in terms of Air China's international traffic and size of its twin-aisle fleet.
"We have witnessed the rapid development of the aviation industry in China. We are honoured to be part of the development by providing our best products and services," said Boeing vice president Jim Simon. "We are also proud that China has a sophisticated and expanding role in the commercial aviation industry and on all Boeing commercial airplane models including the 787 Dreamliner."
Since the 1980s, Boeing has purchased more than US$1.5 billion in aviation hardware and services from China and will double that in coming years. More than 5,700 Boeing aircraft currently in service include Chinese-made parts.