The China office of U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing said Monday that very few of its Boeing 737-300, 737-400 and 737-500 jets prone to fuselage ruptures were available on the Chinese market and passengers could be assured of their safety.
Most Chinese airline companies are using Boeing's new generations of 737-700 and 737-800 planes, Boeing China's communications director Wang Yukui told Xinhua.
"Of 6,000 Boeing 737 models in service globally, less than 200 jets are the 737-300s, 737-400s and 737-500s which were required for inspection. Most of them are in the U.S.," Wang said.
The remarks came after a hole was ripped open in a Boeing 737 plane operated by Southwest Airlines and forced pilots to make an emergency landing in Arizona, a southwestern state in the United States on April 1, which prompted airlines around the world to carry out emergency checks.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has ordered Chinese airlines to check their Boeing 737-300, 737-400 and 737-500 planes, according to CAAC press official Zhong Ning.