Boeing, Kunming Airlines Ink MoU For 10 737 Max 7 Airplanes

KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 (Bernama) -- Boeing and Kunming Airlines have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the purchase of 10 737 MAX 7 airplanes at the 2016 Farnborough International Airshow in the United Kingdom. With the MoU, Kunming Airlines, an all-Boeing fleet customer in China, would become launch customer in China for the improved 737 MAX 7 airplane, as well as, further enhance the strategic cooperation between the two entities, Boeing said in a statement Tuesday. Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and Chief Executive Officer Ray Conner said the aircraft would support Kunming Airlines's strategic plan to establish an extensive flight network throughout China and increase its global reach. The improved 737 MAX 7 aircraft will open new opportunities for airlines and provide exceptional performance out of high elevation airports. The airplane offers 12 more seats in a two-class interior configuration and more than 20 in a maximum seating configuration, compared to the Next-Generation 737-700. It would also use five per cent less fuel per seat and have 500 nautical miles (926 km) more range capability, said Boeing. Based at Changshui International Airport in the capital city of Yunnan province, Kunming Airlines began operations in 2009 and currently serves more than 40 cities across China via a fleet of eight 737-700s and 11 737-800s. Shenzhen Airlines is the major shareholder of Kunming Airlines. -- BERNAMA