Boeing (NYSE: BA) and China Eastern Airlines today celebrated the delivery of the airline’s first 777-300ER. The new airplane is the first of 20 777-300ERs China Eastern has on order.
“We are delighted to introduce our first 777-300ER in China Eastern’s new look in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the 777-300ER program,” said Liu Shaoyong, Chairman of China Eastern Airlines. “The delivery not only marks a milestone in the long-standing business relationship between China Eastern and Boeing, but also signals the modernization of our world-class fleet and the enhancement of the competitiveness of our trans-Pacific routes.”
China Eastern will operate 777-300ERs on routes between China and North America, which will be a major market for China Eastern over the next three years. The carrier plans to open new routes to North America and also boost frequencies on existing routes from Shanghai to Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Vancouver and Toronto. Starting in November, the carrier will deploy its first 777-300ER on services to Los Angeles and New York.
“We are honored to play an integral role in China Eastern’s growing success as a leading global airline,” said Ray Conner, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The 777-300ER is a perfect fit for China Eastern’s long-haul fleet and we are pleased to celebrate this milestone delivery together.”
China Eastern debuted its new livery on the new 777-300ER – a change to its 25-year old livery. The new look features an updated logo – a swallow consisting of two capital letters, C and E, which represent the carrier’s name.
China Eastern has configured its new 777-300ER to feature three distinct cabins. Passengers will find six first class suits, 52 business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration and 258 economy seats in a 3-4-3 configuration.
The Boeing 777 is the world’s most successful twin-engine, long-haul airplane. The 777-300ER is equipped with the world’s most powerful GE90-115B commercial jet engine, and can travel, with a standard three class configuration, a maximum range of 7,825 nautical miles (14,490 kilometers).
Headquartered in Shanghai, China Eastern Airlines is one of the three major airlines in mainland China. Flying a fleet of 500 long-haul and short-haul airplanes with an average age of less than seven years, China Eastern serves nearly 80 million travelers annually and ranks among the world’s top five airlines in terms of passenger transportation volume.
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