Xiamen Airlines has agreed to purchase 40 Boeing 737-800 jets in a deal worth $3.5 billion based on list prices.
The Xiamen-based subsidiary of China Southern Airlines currently operates an all-Boeing fleet consisting of six Boeing 757-200s, 17 Boeing 737-700s and 60 Boeing 737-800s.
Xiamen also has six Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners on order, as well as six Comac ARJ21 aircraft. The carrier plans to operate 200 planes by the end of 2020.
“Xiamen Airlines is a valued customer of The Boeing Company and we are delighted that Xiamen has decided to add to their expanding Next-Generation 737 fleet,” said Ihssane Mounir, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Greater China and Korea, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, in a statement. “This commitment from one of the fastest growing airlines in the world is a testament to the world’s best-selling airplane and the many advantages the Next-Generation 737 provides to the airline and its passengers.”
The deal now awaits Chinese government approval.
