Hainan Airlines receives its seventh Boeing Dreamliner

Mu Weigang, vice-president of Hainan Airlines (right) and Jeffrey E. Klemann, vice-president of 787 delivery Operations at Boeing's Everett delivery center cut ribbons to celebrate the seventh Boeing 787 Dreamliner delivered to Hainan Airlines at the delivery ceremony hosted in Everett, Washington on Friday Morning. [Deng Yu / China Daily]

Hainan Airlines took delivery of its seventh 787 Dreamliner at Boeing's Everett, WA, delivery center on Saturday.

Jeffrey E. Klemann, vice-president of 787 delivery operations, presented a key to the airplane to Mu Weigang, vice-president of Hainan Airlines, at the ceremony.

"This is Boeing's 500th airplane to HNA Group. We hope with more airplanes from Boeing, Hainan Airlines will fly higher and farther," said Klemann.

"In the past 21 years, Hainan Airlines has offered safe, reliable and high quality services. I believe the addition of this technologically advanced and fuel-efficient airplane to our present fleet will increase our services and I look forward to receiving the eighth 787," said Mu.

Last year, Hainan Airlines began flying the new long-range, wide-body, two-engine 787 Dreamliner. The carrier is also the first Chinese airline to launch service with the 787 Dreamliner between the US and China.

The new plane will fly from the delivery center to Haikou Meilan International Airport in Haikou, the capital of Hainan province and the airline's headquarters.

The new 787 will join the fleet on the airline's North American routes, increasing the frequency service for Beijing-Seattle, Beijing-Toronto and Beijing-Chicago destinations.

Hainan Airlines will start nonstop service between Boston and Beijing in June. It will start the service with four weekly roundtrip flights on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Hainan's newest 787 Dreamliner will feature 36 fully flat-bed business seats and 177 economy seats.

lindadeng@chinadailyusa.com