Aviation manufacturer Xi'an Aircraft Industry (Group) Company Ltd (XAC) of China delivered the 1000th vertical 737 fin for the US Boeing Company Thursday.

XAC has provided Boeing with about 3,000 parts for 737 planes including vertical fins, horizontal stabilizers, access gates, and more than 500 B747 trailing edge rib assemblies with values totaling US$198 million.

XAC is already an important partner of Boeing Company and it is making efforts to be a world-class aircraft manufacturers for Boeing, said Gao Dacheng, manager of XAC, at a handover ceremony held Thursday.

"At present, XAC can make 10 B737 vertical fins a month. At the end of this year, the number will increase to 14," Gao said.

According to a contract that is worth US$260 million and signed in August 1995, XAC would provide 1,500 such fins to Boeing.

David Wang, president of Boeing China Company, said XAC has been a major partner of Boeing Company and Boeing would like to make joint efforts with XAC to achieve mutual development.

He also said that according to a survey inside Boeing, employees were satisfied with XAC's products.

Paul J. Shaffer, manager of Boeing's material division, said Boeing and XAC would continue their partnership and create another1,000 components.

(People's Daily April 9, 2004)