EgyptAir, the state-owned airline of Egypt, is set to receive 18 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft as part of a leasing agreement with Air Lease Corp, according to sources familiar with the matter. The deal is expected to be announced at the Dubai Air Show, which runs from November 14 to 18.
The 737 Max 8 is a narrowbody jet that can seat about 170 passengers and has a range of up to 6,570 km. It is one of the variants of the 737 Max family, which was grounded for 20 months after two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. The crashes were linked to a flaw in the flight control software, which has since been fixed by Boeing.
The 737 Max was cleared to fly again by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in November 2020, followed by other regulators around the world. However, the plane has faced some new issues, such as electrical problems and manufacturing defects, that have affected some of the delivered and undelivered jets.
Boeing has delivered more than 400 737 Max aircraft since the ungrounding and has more than 3,000 orders in backlog. The company has been trying to restore its reputation and regain the trust of customers and passengers after the crisis.
EgyptAir, which operates a mixed fleet of Boeing and Airbus planes, has 15 737 Max 8 jets in service and six more on order, according to Boeing’s website. The airline also has six 787 Dreamliners and eight 777s from Boeing, as well as 15 A220s and 12 A330s from Airbus.
The addition of 18 more 737 Max 8 jets will help EgyptAir expand its network and increase its capacity, especially in the domestic and regional markets. The airline has been recovering from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which reduced its passenger traffic by 70% in 2020.
EgyptAir is also planning to launch new routes to several destinations, such as Toronto, Washington, D.C., and Guangzhou, in the coming months. The airline hopes to benefit from the expected growth in tourism to Egypt, which has been named the best tourist destination for 2023 by Lonely Planet magazine.
The Dubai Air Show is one of the largest and most influential events in the aviation industry, attracting exhibitors and visitors from all over the world. The show will showcase the latest products and innovations in the fields of commercial, military, and business aviation, as well as space and technology.
The show will also feature a number of deals and announcements from airlines, manufacturers, and suppliers, as well as high-level discussions and forums on the current and future trends and challenges facing the industry.
EgyptAir’s deal with Boeing is likely to be one of the highlights of the show, as it demonstrates the confidence and optimism of the airline and the manufacturer in the recovery and growth of the aviation market in the Middle East and Africa.
Source: Bloomberg
