OREANDA-NEWS. February 02, 2015.Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Okay Airways celebrated the delivery of the carrier's first Next-Generation 737-900ER (Extended Range). The delivery marks the first 737-900ER to be delivered to a Chinese customer and is the first of eight 737-900ERs that Okay Airways has on order.

"The 737-800 has been the backbone of our fleet and has fueled our growth with its proven reliability and efficiency," said Liu Weining, President of Okay Airways. "The addition of the 737-900ER airplanes will fit seamlessly into our existing fleet of 737-800 airplanes, allowing us to efficiently match capacity to market demand with industry leading economics."

Okay Airways' new 737-900ER is configured with 200 seats in a one-class layout. It will feature Boeing's innovative Sky Interior with modern sculpted sidewalls and window reveals, larger pivoting overhead stowage bins, as well as LED lighting that enhances the sense of spaciousness.   

"It is an honor to join our partner Okay Airways to introduce the first 737-900ER to China," said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Sales for Northeast Asia, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The 737-900ER will further strengthen Okay Airways' fleet of existing 737s by adding more range and capability, while maintaining leadership in efficiency and reliability. I am confident that the 737-900ERs will continue to contribute to their long-term success for many years to come."

Okay Airways, the first privately owned airline in China, is headquartered in Beijing with its main hub at Tianjin Binhai International Airport (TSN). Its jetliner fleet includes 13 Boeing 737-800s and one Boeing 737-300 Freighter, which serves more than 100 domestic and international routes.

The Boeing 737-900ER is the newest member of the Next-Generation 737 airplane family. It has the highest capacity and lowest seat-mile cost of Boeing's single-aisle family. Compared with the 737-800, the 737-900ER provides 31 more seats for more incremental revenue opportunity to complement the 737-800 that many Next-Generation customers already have in their fleet.