Alison Smale (8th from right), under-secretary general for global communications at the UN Department of Public Information, Zhao Dong (7th from right), president of Xiamen Airlines, and other guests attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Xiamen' airlines' new aircraft in Charleston, the United States, Jan. 26, 2018.[Photo/Xinhua]

The Boeing 787-9 aircraft, which boasts of 20 percent less fuel consumption and emission than its predecessors, is an ideal fit to support Xiamen Airlines and the UN SDGs, said John Bruns, president of Boeing China.

Xiamen Airlines was the first airline in the world to cooperate with the UN on promoting sustainable development. In February 2017, it signed a cooperation agreement with the UN to support SDGs implementation.

The UN General Assembly adopted in 2015 the 17-point SDGs, which called for ending poverty, hunger and ensuring prosperity worldwide by 2030.

Xiamen Airlines, founded in the Chinese coastal city of Xiamen, has a fleet of 188 aircraft and 10 intercontinental flights.