WESTJET TO PURCHASE 65 BOEING 737 MAX AIRCRAFT
WestJet has entered into a letter of intent to purchase 65 737 MAX aircraft from Boeing, consisting of 40 737 MAX 8 and 25 737 MAX 7 aircraft, with delivery scheduled to begin in September 2017. “We are proud to continue our long-standing relationship with Boeing and are thrilled that we will be among the first North American airlines to fly the new 737 MAX in its first year of commercial operation. This pending order reinforces our strategy of maintaining the flexibility in our fleet plan while enabling us to introduce new fuel-efficient technology and enhance our inflight guest experience,” said WestJet president and CEO Gregg Saretsky. “Our strong balance sheet allows us the opportunity to support our low-cost business model and contribute to our profitable growth through the renewal of our fleet with a lower operating cost aircraft.”
The 737 MAX aircraft will be equipped with CFM International LEAP-1B engines, and is expected to reduce fuel burn and CO2 emissions by 13% as compared with the most fuel-efficient single-aisle aircraft currently available. Additional design updates, including Boeing’s Advanced Technology winglets and the Boeing Sky Interior, will also contribute to these improvements in fuel efficiency and WestJet’s overall guest experience. Boeing currently has firm orders from five other airlines in North America for its 737 MAX aircraft.
The airline will substitute 15 of its existing Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft orders currently scheduled to deliver between December 2014 and 2018, with Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, for a net increase of 50 committed deliveries to its fleet plan. Including this pending order, WestJet\’s future Boeing 737 aircraft deliveries total 92, with commitments for the proposed Boeing 737 MAX 7 and MAX 8 aircraft, including substitution rights to the 737 MAX 9, scheduled for delivery from 2017 through 2027. WestJet expects that a definitive purchase agreement will be entered into prior to Sept. 30. (http://www.westjet.com)
