Air China orders four Boeing 777-300 ER long-haul airliners

Air China has ordered four Boeing 777-300ER long-haul airliners for $1.1 billion, the US aeronautics giant said in a statement.

Boeing said China’s flagship carrier plans to use the airliners to expand its international routes.

Marlin Dailey, vice president for sales and marketing for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, called it “a great day in the history of our long and enduring partnership with Air China”.

“Today’s order of 777s also underscores Air China’s confidence in the world’s most successful twin-engine, long-haul airplane,” he said in the statement.

Air China’s vice president, Fan Cheng, was quoted as saying the 777-300ER “will be the backbone of our long-haul international fleet.”

“The airplane’s high efficiency and performance features will enable Air China to launch more direct long-haul routes to meet the increasing demand of our passengers,” he said according to the Boeing statement.

The twin engine, wide-bodied Boeing 777-300ER can carry 365 passengers over distances of up to 14,685 kilometres, according to Boeing.