Xiamen Airlines is set to fly its first Boeing 737-800 commercial jetliner.

The newly-delivered 737-800, which holds 170 passengers, is the largest Boeing 737 in Xiamen's fleet and will be used on the airline's long-haul routes.

The Boeing 737-800s will provide excellent reliability and efficiency, which will quickly result in a profitable operation, said Yang Guanghua, president of Xiamen Airlines, on Tuesday.

In December 2005, Xiamen Airlines' order for 10 Boeing 737-800s contributed to a record year for the order of Boeing Commercial Airplanes and pushed total orders for the 737-800 to more than 6,000 since its introduction.

Established 21 years ago, Xiamen Airlines currently operates an all-Boeing fleet of 27 Boeing 737s and nine Boeing 757-200s on more than 100 domestic and international routes.

(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2006)