Ruili Airlines Takes Delivery of First Direct Purchase Boeing 737-700

Ruili Airlines has taken delivery of its first direct purchase Boeing Next-Generation 737-700.

Ruili is a newly established private airline based at Changshui International Airport in Kunming, the capital city of China's Yunnan province.

"This is a momentous step forward for Ruili Airlines as we continue to enhance our fleet," said Ma Zhanwei, president, Ruili Airlines. "We hope that the competitive advantages offered by the 737 will enable us to grow from a start-up airline to a driving force in China's aviation industry."

The new airplane is the first of 14 Boeing 737 orders and commitments from Ruili Airlines, including eight 737-700s and six 737 MAXs. The carrier currently operates two 737-700s and one 737-800 serving seven domestic routes in China.

Ruili Airlines obtained its public air transport enterprise business license from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in February 2014, marking the formal establishment of the carrier. The start-up airline is the first private carrier approved by CAAC after the regulator relaxed restrictions on new carriers in 2013. According to its development plan, Ruili Airlines plans to increase its fleet to 30 Boeing airplanes by 2020, with around 120 daily flights on 60 to 70 routes.