Jet Airways Accounts For 75 Of Those Airplanes

Jet Airways has confirmed that the Indian carrier placed an order for an additional 75 737 MAX 8 airplanes during a signing ceremony at the 2018 Farnborough International Airshow. The order, valued at $8.8 billion at current list prices, was previously posted as unidentified on Boeing's Orders and Deliveries website.

This order for an additional 75 MAX airplanes helps the Indian carrier expand its network to meet surging demand in the fastest-growing aviation market in the world.

"Our latest order for 75 additional Boeing 737 MAX aircraft reflects our long standing association with Boeing and reposes our faith in the aircraft they manufacture," said Naresh Goyal, Chairman of Jet Airways. "The MAX will allow us to offer guests a superior and well differentiated experience using a modern, reliable and fuel efficient fleet. The order also emphasizes Jet Airways' commitment to the growth and potential of the Indian aviation market."

In June, the Mumbai-based carrier took delivery of its first MAX, a new and improved 737 that delivers a double-digit improvement in fuel efficiency and improved passenger comfort. These new airplanes arrive into an Indian aviation market that continues to grow at significant rates. According to industry data, domestic air traffic in India has grown about 20 percent in each of the past four years.

"We are honored to extend our deep partnership with Jet Airways as they modernize their fleet with the most capable single-aisle airplanes," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Kevin McAllister. "This is a testament to the market-leading economics and reliability of the 737 MAX. I am confident that these new airplanes will support Jet Airways' domestic and international expansion."

Jet Airways is India's second-largest airline with a fleet of nearly 120 airplanes serving more than 60 destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe and North America.

Also at Farnborough, GOL Airlines announced that the Brazilian carrier is adding the newest and largest member of the 737 MAX family with a new contract that converts 30 current MAX orders to the 737 MAX 10.

GOL also placed a new order for 15 more MAX 8 airplanes, growing GOL's total MAX orders to 135. The Brazilian airline says the advanced airplanes will help GOL meet its commitment to further enhance operational efficiency by flying a young, modern and safe fleet.

"This new order aligns with our strategic policy of reducing operating costs by operating a standardized fleet. We are confident that the 737 MAX 10 will offer significant competitive advantages for GOL and enable us to continue to modernize with new aircraft. This airplane will allow us to continue lowering the cost of air travel across Brazil, as well as support a larger network, allowing us to add new destinations," said Paulo Kakinoff, Chief Executive Officer of GOL. "We look forward to flying the MAX and taking advantage of its efficiency and improved passenger comfort."

A 737 MAX 10 will enable GOL to comfortably serve more than 30 additional passengers compared to its 737 MAX 8, which seats up to 186 passengers in the airline's configuration. The additional capacity will provide GOL greater flexibility and a competitive cost advantage since the MAX 10 will have the lowest cost per seat of any single-aisle airplane in the market.

"Increased seat capacity per aircraft not only reduces the costs of providing passenger transportation, but also improves our ability to distribute passengers within our large domestic and growing international flight networks," said Kakinoff.

GOL took delivery of its first 737 MAX airplane last month, kicking off a fleet renewal that will continue through 2028. The all-Boeing operator is set to be the largest MAX operator in Latin America.

"This order shows why GOL has been a pioneer in low-cost air travel in Brazil. The airline is always looking for ways to bring the best fares to its customers. GOL will be able to do just that with the 737 MAX 10's additional capacity and unbeatable economics," said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing for The Boeing Company. "We continue to see strong market demand for the largest MAX model thanks to the additional capacity and its unbeatable operating costs."

(Images provided with Boeing news release and from file)

FMI: www.boeing.com