Air Europa adds first Boeing 737 MAX to its fleet
Air Europa took delivery of the first Boeing 737 MAX 8 in its fleet on May 22. The aircraft, registered EC-OGS, was received at the airline’s headquarters in Madrid after a flight from Seattle with a technical stopover in Glasgow.
The new jet is the first of its kind to be registered in Spain and is configured with 189 seats in a single-class layout.
Air Europa expects to take delivery of three more aircraft in 2025 under a lease agreement with AerCap involving 20 737-8s. According to the company, 12 jets will be delivered next year and the remainder in 2027.
A leisure carrier owned by Globalia, Air Europa currently flies 26 737-800s.
The more efficient and longer-range aircraft will be used on medium-haul continental routes and, later and eventually, on short-haul routes between domestic destinations.
“The addition of this unit heralds a new era for Air Europa. In addition to consolidating our ongoing fleet modernization process, we continue to innovate with cutting-edge technology through aircraft that allow us to continue to lead in terms of sustainability and efficiency,” said Juan José Hidalgo, President of Air Europa.
“The delivery of the first 737 MAX represents an important milestone for Air Europa, becoming the first operator of the Boeing 737 MAX in Spain. AerCap is proud to support Air Europa’s commitment to modernizing its fleet with the most sustainable and fuel-efficient aircraft in the industry,” said Aengus Kelly, CEO of AerCap.
New partners in talks
Air Europa operates a fleet of 54 all-Boeing jets. In addition to the 737, the airline has 27 wide-body 787 Dreamliners that fly long-haul routes, mainly in Latin America.
In recent years, the budget carrier was the target of a sale agreement with the IAG Group, owner of British Airways and Iberia, but the deal fell through.
Recently, Air France-KLM and Lufthansa were mentioned in a potential acquisition of 20% of Air Europa, but the talks were reportedly suspended due to the price requested by the Hidalgo family, which controls the airline.
According to the Spanish press, the two groups rejected a price of 1 billion euros requested by the controlling shareholders.
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