American plane manufacturer Boeing announced that it has sealed a deal with China's first private sector airline, Okay Airways, for the purchase of 10 single-aisle Boeing aircraft worth US$980 million.

The order involves four Next Generation 737 800s and six 737 MAX 8s at current list prices. The orders were first made during the Farnborough airshow near London early this year.

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Okay Airways is also set to become the first airline in China to operate the 737-900ER when it is done converting its order of five 737-800s to the Extended Range model, Boeing said in a statement provided to the press.

Okay Airways President Liu Weining said the new orders will further allow the airlines to expand into new markets in the region and, at the same time, strengthen its existing routes in China.

Liu said the 737 has fueled the airliner's growth because of its proven reliability and efficiency

""The 737 is the backbone of our fleet," Liu said in a statement released on Monday.

Boeing's Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing John Wojick said the company is honored to once again be a partner of Okay Airways' modernization plan.

Wojick added that the new set of airplanes ordered by Okay Airways will provide the Chinese airline's fleet with Boeing's efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort.

Last month, one of China's major airliners, China Eastern Airlines, sealed an agreement to buy 80 airplanes from Boeing worth US$7.39 billion.

The order involves the energy-efficient B737 MAX model, the airliner said. The said planes are set to be delivered between 2016 and 2020, based on the agreement signed by Boeing and China Eastern Airlines.

"The new set of B737 MAX will surely boost our transport capacity by up to 13 percent," the company said in a statement.

TagsChina Airlines, Okay Airlines, Boeing Order