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Jet Airways accepts first B737 MAX
June 22nd 2018
Jet Airways this week received the first of 150 on-order B737 MAXs, making it the first Indian airline to fly the latest B737 variant. Read More »
“The new 737 MAX is a critical element for our growth strategy and we are proud to become the first airline in India to introduce this brand new airplane to our customers,” Jet Airways chairman, Naresh Goyal. said. “The 737 has been the backbone of our dynamic fleet for many years and we are excited to leverage the superior capabilities of the new 737 MAX.”
The Mumbai-headquartered carrier ordered 75 of the jets in 2015 and another 75 earlier this year.
“This milestone delivery adds yet another chapter to our long and successful relationship with Jet Airways,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes senior vice president, Asia Pacific and India Sales, Dinesh Keskar. “Jet Airways continues to demonstrate their leadership in a highly competitive market and I am confident that these new 737 MAX airplanes will enable the airline to successfully achieve long-term growth going forward.”
Jet Airways has 73 B737NGs. They will be replaced by the MAXs by 2023. The additional 77 aircraft will expand the fleet.
Speaking to India’s Economic Times, Jet’s senior vice president for network planning and revenue management, Raj Sivakumar, said: “the MAX offers a longer stage length and it also offers better payload on existing stage lengths. For instance, a Delhi-Singapore flight is on the fringe of a B737-800's capability. Especially in the winter months, when there is fog and the pilot has to carry extra fuel, we are forced to bring down the capacity.
“There are some markets that automatically enter into discussion with the MAXs. A couple of markets in Africa become possibilities. If you stretch it, CIS countries from Delhi become possibilities.” Jet Airways will debut the B737 MAX on the Mumbai-Abu Dhabi route on July 1.
