Boeing celebrates delivery of Hainan Airlines' first 787 Dreamliner

Boeing 787 to fuel growth of Hainan Airlines' North American routes

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C., July 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Hainan Airlines today celebrated the delivery of the airline's first 787 Dreamliner. The delivery is the first of 10 787s for Hainan Airlines.

"Today is a great day for Hainan Airlines as the most technologically advanced and fuel efficient airplane in the world joins our fleet," said Mu Weigang, vice chairman of Hainan Airlines. "The 787 will allow Hainan Airlines to open new routes from Beijing to North America and provide our unique 'Eastern-style' five-star in-flight experience for global passengers."

Hainan Airlines will first operate the Dreamliner on a domestic route from Beijing to Haikou. Thereafter, the airline will deploy the 787 on its North America routes, increasing the frequency of its Beijing-Seattle, Beijing-Toronto and Beijing-Chicago services, with several new destinations.

"We are pleased to celebrate another historic moment in our long-term relationship with Hainan Airlines," said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Northeast Asia Sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We appreciate the confidence Hainan Airlines has shown in Boeing and I'm sure the 787's game-changing efficiency and flexibility will support Hainan Airlines to increase its competitive position in the global aviation marketplace."

The 787 Dreamliner is an all-new airplane featuring a host of technologies that provide exceptional value to airlines and unparalleled levels of comfort to passengers. It is the first mid-size airplane capable of flying long-range routes, enabling airlines to open new, non-stop routes preferred by the traveling public.

The Hainan Airlines 787 Dreamliner interior consists of 36 full, flat-bed business seats configured in rows of 2-2-2, as well as 177 economy seats configured in rows of 3-3-3. Each seat has a 15-inch, touch screen panel and a power outlet. Each business seat also has a USB port.

As one of only seven airlines rated as five-star by Skytrax, Hainan Airlines is the fourth largest airline in terms of fleet size in the People's Republic of China. Its current fleet includes 106 Boeing airplanes. The airline serves scheduled domestic and international services on 500 routes from Beijing, Haikou and other operating base on the mainland, and provides charter services