XiamenAir (or Xiamen Airlines as it used to be called, but XiamenAir is now its official English title) (Chinese: 厦门航空; pinyin: Xiàmén Hángkōng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: E-mng Hang-khong) is the first privately owned airline in the People's Republic of China. Established on July 25, 1984 and based in Xiamen,Fujian Province it operates scheduled passenger flights out of Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport and, to a lesser extent, Fuzhou Changle International Airport and Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport. The airline is owned by China Southern Airlines (51%), Xiamen Construction and Development Group (34%), and Jizhong Energy Group (15%). XiamenAir is the only major Chinese carrier which operates an all Boeing fleet. XiamenAir was honored with the title of "The Best Airline In Mainland China" for 6 consecutive quarters in the "Airlines Service Survey" made by CARNOC.com. The survey consists of comprehensive questionnaires answered by the passengers and analyzed by experts. By early 2014, Xiamen Airlines has 6 branches in Fuzhou, Nanchang, Hangzhou, Tianjin, Changsha, and Beijing. The airline operates 218 domestic routes along with 26 international routes (Including routes to Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan). It flies over 3600 flights per week. XiamenAir ranks #4 among all Chinese carriers by domestic capacity (only less than the "Big Three" national carriers), and contributes 7.2% of the domestic capacity in China. Xiamen Airlines concluded the year of 2013 with a passenger number of 18.57 Million, and a profit of 1520 million CNY (about 245 million US dollars or 15.2 million British Pounds). It is the 27th consecutive year of profit for Xiamen Airlines since 1988. With the long consecutive profit record and high profit rate, the airline was regarded as one of the most profitable airlines in the world. The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range twinjet narrow-body airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engined airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers. The 737 is Boeing's only narrow-body airliner in production, with the -700, -800, and -900ER variants currently being built. A re-engined and redesigned version, the 737 MAX, is set to debut in 2017. Originally envisioned in 1964, the initial 737-100 made its first flight in April 1967 and entered airline service in February 1968 at Lufthansa. Next, the lengthened 737-200 entered service in April 1968. In the 1980s Boeing launched the -300, -400, and -500 models, subsequently referred to as the Boeing 737 Classic series. The 737 Classics added capacity and incorporated CFM56 turbofan engines along with wing improvements. In the 1990s Boeing introduced the 737 Next Generation with multiple changes including a redesigned wing, upgraded cockpit, and new interior. The 737 Next Generation comprises the four -600, -700, -800, and -900ER models, ranging from 102 ft (31.09 m) to 138 ft (42.06 m) in length. Boeing Business Jet versions of the 737 Next Generation are also produced. The 737 series is the best-selling jet airliner in the history of aviation. The 737 has been continuously manufactured by Boeing since 1967 with 8,263 aircraft delivered and 4,037 orders yet to be fulfilled as of October 2014. 737 assembly is centered at the Boeing Renton Factory in Renton, Washington. Many 737s serve markets previously filled by 707, 727, 757, DC-9, and MD-80/MD-90 airliners, and the aircraft currently competes primarily with the Airbus A320 family. There are 1,250 Boeing 737s airborne at any given time on average, with two departing or landing somewhere every five seconds as of 2006. The 737-800 is a stretched version of the 737-700, and supersedes the 737-400. It also filled the gap left by the decision to discontinue the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 and MD-90 following Boeing's merger with McDonnell Douglas. The -800 was launched by Hapag-Lloyd Flug (now TUIfly) in 1994 and entered service in 1998. The 737-800 seats 162 passengers in a typical two-class layout, or up to 189 in one class. It competes with the A320. For many airlines in the U.S., the 737-800 replaced aging Boeing 727-200 trijets and MD-80 series and MD-90 aircraft. The P-8 Poseidon is a 737-800ERX ("Extended Range") that, on June 14, 2004, Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems (now called Boeing Defense, Space & Security) division beat Lockheed Martin in the contest to replace the US Navy's P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft.

• published: 18 Dec 2015
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