XI'AN - A company in Northwest China's Shaanxi province has hailed a major milestone in its history of aircraft component production as a sign of its leading status in the market.

Xi'an Aircraft International Corporation (XAIC), a subsidiary of China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC), has turned over 2,000 737NG (Next Generation) vertical tails to the Boeing Company as of Friday.

"It means that XAIC has mastered international advanced airplane components manufacture techniques and is becoming a strategic partner of aircraft enterprises known around the world," said Jiang Jianguo, XAIC president.

The 737NG vertical tails are widely used by various kinds of airplanes, such as Boeing 737-700, 737-800 and 737-900.

Currently, about two-thirds of the vertical tails of the operating Boeing 737 aircraft in the world were made by XAIC, said Jiang.

XAIC signed its first production contract, for 1,500 vertical tails, with the Boeing Company in 1996.

XAIC has become the major supplier of some renowned aircraft manufacturers, and has turned over more than 8,000 aircraft components to Airbus, Bombardier and Alenia Aeronautica.

XAIC also turned over the first 747-8 vertical tails to the Boeing Company Friday, marking a great breakthrough in production of tails for large aircraft.

In recent years, the inland province of Shaanxi has beefed up its efforts in developing its aviation industry. Shaanxi is home to one of China's leading aircraft makers, AVIC Xi'an Aircraft Industry (Group) Corp.