Boeing (Chicago, Seattle and Charleston) and Ruili Airlines (Kunming, Yunnan, China) today announced at the Paris Air Show that the airline has committed to purchase 30 737 MAXs with the financial support of AVIC International Leasing, amid a surge in China’s passenger traffic.

The commitment, valued at $3.2 billion at current list prices, will be subject to the approval of the Chinese government and will be posted on Boeing’s Orders & Deliveries website once all contingencies are cleared.

Currently, Ruili Airlines operates 34 daily flights on 11 scheduled routes with a fleet of five Boeing 737 airplanes. According to its development plan, the start-up carrier will expand its fleet to seven aircraft by the end of this year and 26 by 2020.

Ruili Airlines obtained its public air transport enterprise business license from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in February 2014, marking the formal establishment of the carrier. The start-up airline is the first private carrier approved by CAAC after the regulator relaxed restrictions on new carriers in 2013.

Copyright Photo: Ton Jochems/AirlinersGallery.com. Ruili Airlines already operates both the Boeing 737-700 and the 737-800. The pictured Boeing 737-86J D-ABMX (msn 37786) became B-1960 on delivery.

Ruili Airlines aircraft photo gallery: