China Southern, one of China's leading airlines, will receive its first 787 Dreamliner aircraft from the Boeing company in the fourth quarter of this year, Boeing chairman and CEO W. James McNerney said on Thursday in Beijing.

The aircraft will be the first of its kind to be used in the Chinese market, according to McNerney. McNerney did not give a specific timetable for the delivery of the aircraft, only saying that it would be delivered "on time."

The CEO also said that Air China, another major Chinese air carrier, will receive its first Boeing 777-300ER airplane in the middle of this year.

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner aircraft are designed to use 20 percent less fuel than other aircraft of similar size, according to a profile on Boeing's official website.

The aircraft can carry as many as 290 passengers on journeys of more than 15,000 kilometers, according to the profile.

The company's 777-model aircraft are also more fuel-efficient than other comparable aircraft, thanks to their improved wing design and lighter structure, according to the company's website.