Boeing Co formally delivered one of its 777-300ER jets to Air China, the nation's flag carrier, at a ceremony on Monday at Seattle's Future of Flight Aviation Center.

Air China representatives from Beijing and Los Angeles celebrated the delivery of the jet with Boeing management teams.

Chi Zhihang, vice-president and general manager of Air China North America, said the Boeing 777-300ER provides a better customer experience and offers more legroom for passengers.

The extended-range aircraft, which can fly up to 7,900 nautical miles (about 14,500 kilometers) before refueling, sports a distinctive paint job: Forty smiling faces of Chinese people adorn the exterior to honor the national aviation industry's role in linking China to the world.

Twenty of the people pictured on the fuselage are front-line employees of Air China, each with a personal story that reflects the growth of civil aviation in China. The other faces belong to people selected by the airline and Boeing from a Chinese social media campaign this summer. Users submitted a photo and an inspiring message.

"We hope this especially lively airplane will make the connection of bringing a smiling, confident and friendly China to the world," said Feng Run'e, Air China vice-president.

"With the airplane flying around the world, we hope more business travelers will experience the superior in-flight comfort offered by Air China's 777-300ER," she said.

"Boeing is celebrating its 40th anniversary in China. Over the past four decades, we have witnessed the rapid development of China's aviation industry and we're honored to be part of its success by providing our best products and services," said Ihssane Mounir, Boeing's senior vice-president of sales for Greater China, Japan and South Korea.

"We look forward to carrying on this great tradition of growth and development over the next 40 years," he added.

Two of the people whose faces were selected for the plane's exterior participated in the ceremony.

Wang Yulin, flight attendant and one of Air China's image ambassadors since 2010, said she feels honored to be selected. She joined Air China in 2004 and started to fly the Boeing series one year later - mainly between China and the United States.

Rong Kai, who joined Air China in 2008 and works at Ameco, Air China's maintenance, repair and overhaul provider, said he invented Air China's first landing gear kit to be used for Boeing 737NG landing gear overhaul.

"It's the first time that we (Air China) worked with aircraft manufacturers to develop our own kit, which meets our needs better," Rong said.

The kit is currently used by Ameco. Rong and his team have been collaborating with Boeing and Airbus to develop more new technologies and products.

To date, 63 customers around the world have ordered a total of 1,380 Boeing 777 planes, the largest twin-engine jet. Air China has 167 Boeing planes, 55 percent of its fleet.

Yang Rui, deputy general manager of Air China North America, said the airline has advocated use of fuel-efficient aircraft such as the 777-300ER, which is also designed to be quieter in flight than other commercial jets.

In Air China's configuration, the 777-300ER has eight seats in first class, 41 in business class and 257 in coach. All offer improvements in privacy, comfort and entertainment options, Yang said.

The airplane delivered Monday is the tenth of 19 Boeing 777-300ERs that Air China has ordered since 2008. The carrier received its first 777-300ER in the Chinese mainland in July 2011. Air China has been using the planes to expand routes, particularly in Europe.

The nine Air China 777-300ERs currently in service have helped boost the carrier's competitiveness domestically and overseas. Cities served include Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Los Angeles, Frankfurt and Paris.

Air China's 777-300ERs will gradually replace the Boeing 747-400s, which currently fly between China and North American cities. The airline currently uses 777-300ERs for twice-daily flights between Beijing and Los Angeles.

Contact the writers at wangjun@chinadailyusa.com and lindadeng@chinadailyusa.com