Xiamen Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737 Max, expanding its fleet to 200 aircraft. This is the latest milestone in a period of strong growth from the airline, which has added on average 20 aircraft to its fleet every year since 2013.
The Chinese passenger airline counted 100 aircraft in its fleet in 2013 and has now doubled that number. During this period, the airline’s operating profits also increased year by year, booking gross profits exceeding RMB 10bn (approximately US$1.5bn).
Over the past five years, civil aviation passenger volume in the USA, Europe and China recorded an average annual growth rate of roughly 4%, 6% and 10%, respectively, while Xiamen Airlines experienced an average growth rate of 15%. It has been profitable for 31 consecutive years.
After expanding its fleet in 2013, Xiamen Airlines sped up its expansion into international markets. The airline bought its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner in August 2014 and launched its first intercontinental flight, between Xiamen and Amsterdam in the Netherlands, in July 2015.
Over the following two years, the airline launched 10 intercontinental flights to cities across Europe, North America and Oceania. All the intercontinental flights are now serviced by Boeing 787s.
