Air China has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX 8. China's national flag carrier, which has ordered eight MAX 8s, is the first airline in the country to receive the 737 MAX. It currently operates more than 140 Next Generation 737s.

Boeing says it expects to deliver almost 100 737 MAXs to Chinese customers by the end of 2018.

The company has orders for 220 737 MAXs in China to date, including 82 aircraft for leasing companies. The largest airline customer is China Southern (50), followed by Ruili Airlines (36) and Donghai Airlines (25).

Boeing forecasts a requirement for 5,420 new single-aisle airplanes in the region through 2036. IATA recently predicted that China would become the world's largest avation market within the next five years.