FLEET / ORDER - Aerolíneas Argentinas orders 20 aircraft.

The plan includes 6 Airbus A330neo, 8 Boeing 737 MAX 10, and 6 Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets.

The first aircraft to arrive will be a Boeing 737 MAX 8, expected in the first quarter of 2027. Airbus A330neo deliveries begin in the first half of 2028 and continue through 2029 and 2030.

ORDER - Vietnam Airlines to dry lease 19 B737-8s

Vietnam Airlines (VN, Hanoi Noi Bai International) plans to dry lease nineteen B737-8s from three lessors for delivery in 2028, the carrier said in a press release. The airline will source ten units from SMBC Aviation Capital, four from Avolon, and five from Phoenix Aviation Capital.
The additional aircraft will expand Vietnam Airlines' planned B737-8 fleet to 69 units, comprising 50 firm orders and the 19 dry-leased jets. The carrier did not disclose the lease terms.

The agreements follow an initial request for quotations issued in November 2025 for the operating lease of 20 narrowbody aircraft seating fewer than 200 passengers, with options for up to ten more.

In February 2026, Vietnam Airlines finalised its order for fifty B737-8s, converting a non-binding agreement reached with Boeing in 2023. Deliveries under the direct order are scheduled between 2030 and 2032, after the leased aircraft arrive.

Vietnam Airlines operates an in-house fleet of 94 aircraft, comprising one A320-200, three A320-200Ns, thirty-nine A321-200s, twenty A321-200Ns, fourteen A350-900s, six B787-10s, and eleven B787-9s.

CH Aviation

FLEET - Tarom Moves Boeing B737 Max8 Debut To Mid-August 2026

TAROM has revised the dates for the start of operations with the Boeing 737 MAX 8, now scheduled for mid-August 2026, a month later than previously planned.

Bucharest: 

Amsterdam - 16AUG26

Athens - 17AUG26

Beirut - 02SEP26 

Cluj - 20AUG26

Frankfurt - 16AUG26

Madrid - 20AUG26– 

Paris Charles de Gaulle - 01SEP26

Tel Aviv - 03SEP26

Timisoara  - 03SEP26

IMAGE - Flyingphotos AI

Air Algérie takes first B737-8

Air Algérie (AH, Algiers) has taken delivery of the first of ten B737-8s it plans to take on lease. 

7T-VLQ (msn 44017) was ferried from Budapest to Algiers on July 9, 2026, concurrently with the first ATR72-600 for subsidiary Domestic Airlines. 

The B737-8, leased from BOC Aviation, was originally due for GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes, and was even ferried to Belo Horizonte Tancredo Neves in late February 2026. However, the Brazilian airline ultimately did not take it, and the aircraft was ferried to Budapest on March 18, without operating a single revenue flight for GOL. 

Air Algérie expects another four leased B737-8s this year, and five more in 2027. It also has a firm order for eight B737-9s directly from Boeing, with the first one due in 2027.

CH Aviation / Image Flyingphotos AI

SPECIAL COLOURS - Copa Airlines Unveils “El Avión de la Sele” Panama’s National Football Team

The aircraft selected to carry this unique livery is a Boeing 737 MAX 8, registered as HP-9819CMP.

 

SPECIAL COLOURS - Southwest Airlines: Independence One dedicated to America's 250th anniversary

Independence One during water cannon salute 

Independence One departs BWI after unveiling 

Southwest Independence One water salute (Credit: BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport Fire and Rescue Department) 

Southwest Independence One mid water salute upon first departure (Credit: BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport Fire and Rescue Department)

Southwest Independence One departs BWI after unveiling (Credit: BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport Fire and Rescue Department) 

Southwest Independence One BWI taxis out after unveiling (Credit: BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport Fire and Rescue Department) 
 

ROUTES - Thai VietJet Air will begin B737-8 flights from 26 January 2026, on international routes, including Japan, Vietnam and Macau from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi and Chiang Mai.

Photo: Thai Vietjet / Aviator
 

ORDER - Norwegian Group Places New Order for Boeing 737 MAX

- Leading Scandinavian airline extends its commitment to the 737 MAX with agreement for 30 737-8 airplanes

- Fuel-efficient, reliable 737 MAX airplanes to help Norwegian Group expand its network across Europe

OSLO, Norway, Sept. 26, 2025 /PRNewswir / -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Norwegian Group announced today that the airline group has placed an order for 30 737-8 airplanes as the airline looks to expand its service across Europe.
The agreement represents the group's first direct Boeing order since 2017 and increases their 737 MAX order book to 80 airplanes.
"This milestone aircraft order is on attractive terms and secures our fleet growth in a way that supports our planned growth and sustainability targets. By exercising the options and adjusting the delivery profile, we maintain flexibility while reinforcing our commitment to operating one of the most modern and fuel-efficient fleets in Europe," said Geir Karlsen, CEO of Norwegian. "These aircraft will not only lower emissions but also provide our customers with an even better travel experience. We are pleased to extend our solid long-term partnership with Boeing through this order."
Norwegian has predominantly operated Boeing single-aisle airplanes since placing its first order for the Next-Generation 737-800 in 2007. It was the first European airline to take delivery of the 737 MAX in 2017 and was also the first airline to operate the 737-8 model on transatlantic routes between Europe and the U.S.
In 2022, Norwegian restructured its order book, firming its commitment to 50 737-8s with options for an additional 30 airplanes.
"Norwegian's impressive performance over the past few years has demonstrated the strength of their network, business model and strategy. Today's agreement for an additional 30 737-8s will support their ambition to be the airline of choice in Scandinavia, providing flexibility to expand across Europe and beyond," said Brad McMullen, Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing. "Norwegian has been a great partner to the 737 program, having placed over 200 orders for the 737 NG and MAX since 2007. We are honored that Norwegian continues to place its trust in our 737 team to grow its business."
The 737-8 model can carry up to 200 passengers depending on configuration, with a range of up to 3,500 nautical miles (6,480 km). The 737 MAX family is well-suited to support airline fleet modernization by reducing fuel use and carbon emissions by 20% compared to the airplanes they replace.
About Norwegian 
The Norwegian group is a leading Nordic aviation company, headquartered at Fornebu outside Oslo, Norway. The company has over 8,200 employees and owns two of the prominent airlines in the Nordics: Norwegian Air Shuttle and Widerøe's Flyveselskap. Widerøe was acquired by Norwegian in 2024, aiming to facilitate seamless air travel across the two airline's networks.
Norwegian Air Shuttle, the largest Norwegian airline with around 4,700 employees, operates an extensive route network connecting Nordic countries to key European destinations. In 2024, Norwegian carried 22,6 million passengers and maintained a fleet of 86 Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

FLEET - Garuda Indonesia mulls B737 MAX lease Support

Garuda Indonesia (GA, Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta) is in talks with BOC Aviation about a lease of one B737-8, Bloomberg reported. If confirmed, the transaction would mark an about-face for the airline, which, on paper, retains an order for forty-nine B737-8s but has long wanted to nix it.
The lessor confirmed it was in talks with the carrier, but Garuda did not respond to ch-aviation's request for comment.
The Indonesian carrier is currently struggling with capacity shortages caused by a double-digit number of its aircraft stuck in maintenance. Garuda reportedly had troubles paying for some of the maintenance, although the carrier denied the claims and attributed the groundings to global, industry-wide supply chain issues.
In June, Garuda secured a USD405 million shareholder loan from Indonesia's recently formed sovereign wealth fund, Danantara (Daya Anagata Nusantara), which holds a 64.5% stake in the airline. The bulk of the loan is earmarked for fleet growth, although primarily targeted at low-cost carrier unit Citilink. Garuda Indonesia Group confirmed in a June 24 stock market filing that up to IDR4.8 trillion Indonesian rupiahs (USD297 million), or over 72%, of the loan will go to the LCC, with the remaining allocated to Garuda Indonesia.
The carrier took delivery of a single B737-8 of its order for 50 units in December 2017, but grounded it after the October 2018 crash of the same aircraft type operated by Lion Air. It never resumed operations with the aircraft and returned it in 2022. The remainder of the order is still on Boeing's books, but Garuda has been vocal about its intention to cancel the deal. Its narrowbody fleet currently comprises forty-five B737-800s.

CH Aviation

 

ORDER - Skymark orders more MAXs

Skymark Airlines has announced it has decided to increase its number of Boeing B737MAXs on order with Boeing with six additional frames.
In total, it now has ten MAXs on firm order, eight B737-8s and two B737-10s.
According to the statement from Skymark Airlines, it will take delivery of its first MAX in 2030.

The airline announced its first order for four MAXs in November 2022. Back then it also signalled its intention to lease six B737-8s but it seems these have now been ordered directly.
Currently, Skymark is operating a fleet of 29 B737-800s.
Illustration:  Boeing.

ORDER - AviLease Places First Direct Boeing Order for up to 30 737 MAX Jets

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] and AviLease, a global aircraft lessor headquartered in Saudi Arabia, announced the lessor has placed its first direct order for Boeing airplanes with a firm purchase for 20 737-8 jets and options for 10 more.

The deal enables AviLease to scale up its growing portfolio and provides its customers with the latest generation, fuel-efficient aircraft.

"We are pleased to conclude our first direct Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) order, complementing our growth strategy towards being at the top of the industry," said Edward O'Byrne, CEO of AviLease. "Building on our recently achieved investment grade ratings, this transaction proves our ability to transact across all market channels, including sale and lease-back, secondary trading, M&A and now direct OEM purchasing. These new aircraft will accelerate our growth and enable us to deliver the industry's latest generation, fuel–efficient fleet solutions. We extend our gratitude to the Boeing team for the strong long-term relationship we have built."

The single-aisle order aligns with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's strategic plan to transform the country into a global aviation hub. The airplanes will support the country's goal of serving 330 million passengers and attracting 150 million visitors annually by 2030.

"We are honored to strengthen our relationship with a key Saudi Arabian commercial aviation partner and expand the global 737 MAX fleet," said Brad McMullen, Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing. "The 737 MAX will diversify AviLease's portfolio by delivering unrivalled fuel efficiency and market-leading versatility. It's a powerful combination that will fuel AviLease's profitable global expansion and support their airline customers' business and sustainability goals."

The Boeing 737, with a large global customer base and low operating costs, is a cornerstone of the leasing industry, representing approximately 30% of all financed airplanes.

 

Air India Express to become all-economy airline by 2Q26

 

Air India Express (IX, Delhi International) is set to reconfigure the cabin of its two- and three-class aircraft to an all-economy layout by April 2026, managing director Aloke Singh said during a media briefing at the company's headquarters.

"Certain B737-8 aircraft will be reconfigured and converted into all economy," the news outlet Mint reported Singh as saying.

The aircraft in question were delivered as white tails originally earmarked for various Chinese airlines. Air India Express picked them up when they already had the cabins installed.

According to the ch-aviation fleets module, thirty-six out of forty-one B737-8s operated by Air India Express feature eight business class seats, and a further two aircraft of the type are outfitted with four such seats. The aircraft also have varying economy class configurations, ranging from 150 to 186 seats. Thirteen of the aircraft also have 18 economy plus seats each.

Air India Express also operates two A320-200Ns with 12 business class seats each.

The airline expects to grow its passenger numbers by 50% in the 2026 fiscal year (to March 31, 2026), jumping from 20 million to 30 million.

The low-cost carrier plans to take delivery of 15 aircraft in FY2026, including 11 factory-new jets and four airframes previously used by parent company Air India. In total, the airline is expecting to add 149 aircraft in the coming years, fifty B737-10s and ninety-nine B737-8s, ch-aviation data reveals.

Air India Express currently operates 104 aircraft: twenty-four A320-200s, twelve A320-200Ns, twenty-six B737-800s, and forty-two B737-8s. The airline is set to introduce A321-200Ns to its fleet starting April 15, on the route between Delhi International-Goa Mopa.

CH Aviation

Photos: Air India Express

LOT Polish Airlines launches direct flights from Warsaw to Lisbon

 Photo: Ton Jochems - AYT

LOT Polish Airlines has inaugurated a direct route between Warsaw and Lisbon, marking its third destination on the Iberian Peninsula. Flights will initially operate five times a week before increasing to a daily service from 24 February 2025.

The route will be served by Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, offering passengers access to one of Europe’s most picturesque capitals. L

isbon, known for its historic tram rides, Fado music, and iconic custard tarts, is a gateway for Polish travellers, while Portuguese passengers can benefit from seamless connections to Eastern Europe via Warsaw.

ORDER - Eurowings sets sights on the largest fleet modernization in its history

Germany's second-largest airline receives green light for 40 new Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft

Billion-euro investment brings significant CO2 reduction and improved environmental footprint
Delivery of the first brand-new Boeing jet in 2027 Carsten Spohr, CEO Lufthansa Group: “Welldeserved
and strong signal for a successful future of Eurowings”
Eurowings CEO Jens Bischof: “We have the responsibility to reconcile economic and ecological topics”

The go-ahead has been given for one of the largest fleet modernizations in European aviation: Lufthansa Group has decided to allocate 40 brand-new Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft that have been ordered to Eurowings. The gradual integration of new short and medium-haul jets will pave the way for Eurowings to operate one of the youngest fleets in European air traffic in the future.


The approval does not just provide Lufthansa Group's value airline with state-of-the-art jets and engines that have particularly low fuel consumption and noise emissions thanks to their efficiency: Eurowings is also making significant progress towards more sustainable flying, as the latest generation of jets consumes up to 30 percent less kerosene and emits correspondingly less CO2. The order for 40 brand-new 737 aircraft is equivalent to an investment of around five billion dollars at list price. This makes it by far the largest and most expensive sustainability project in the more than 30-year history of Eurowings.


Modern travel experience, more range, more seats
The Cologne-based airline has grown dynamically since the end of the pandemic and has established a strong position among the most popular airlines in Europe in what is known as “point-to-point traffic”. The British rating agency Skytrax named the company a four-star airline last year. Eurowings is now Germany's largest leisure airline and is the market leader at airports such as Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Cologne/Bonn.


Delivery of the first Boeing 737-8 MAX to Eurowings is scheduled to begin in 2027 and will be completed with a total of 40 jets by 2032. The new aircraft will gradually replace the Airbus A319 fleet as well as older Airbus A320 models. With its capacity for 189 passengers, the Boeing 737-8 MAX offers 39 additional seats compared to the A319. Its significantly longer range also makes it the perfect choice for longer medium-haul destinations, which Eurowings is increasingly offering in its portfolio. Eurowings guests can look forward to a redesigned cabin with more comfort on board and a travel experience that meets the latest airline standards.


Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of the Lufthansa Group:
“Eurowings has established itself as the European point-to-point airline of the Lufthansa Group with a convincing strategy and thanks to its outstanding employees in an extremely competitive market. The company’s strategic focus on expanding its tourism business and its consistent expansion in Europe is paying off for the entire Lufthansa Group. Our decision today is a well-deserved and strong signal for a successful future of Eurowings.”


Jens Bischof, CEO Eurowings:
“Economic success makes Eurowings attractive for investment. At the same time, we have a responsibility to reconcile economic and ecological topics. With 40 state-of-the-art aircraft, we are laying the foundations for a successful Eurowings future that is geared towards ambitious sustainability goals. The largest investment in our company's history shows that we are making rapid progress towards low-emission flying – through significantly lower fuel consumption, lower emissions and significantly less noise. The high cost efficiency of the new jets also enables us to continue to offer Eurowings customers fair and attractive fares. Without such a technological leap, an airline will hardly be able to operate successfully on the market in the 2030s.”

SPECIAL LIVERY / Batik Air Malaysia ' Visit Malaysia 2026 Special Liveries - B737 MAX8, 9M-LRK

Photo: Chaity
 
Kuala Lumpur - International (Sepang) (KUL / WMKK) Malaysia - December 15, 2024

ROUTES - UNITED ADDS SAN FRANCISCO – SAN JOSE (COSTA RICA) SERVICE FROM MAY 2025

United during Northern summer 2025 season plans to add new service to Costa Rica, subject to government approval. The Star Alliance member plans to operate San Francisco – San Jose (Costa Rica) route, on board 737 MAX 8 aircraft. The daily service will commence on 22MAY25, San Francisco departure.

UA2312 SFO2334 – 0715+1SJO 7M8 D
UA2313 SJO0845 – 1434SFO 7M8 D

Photo: Duncan Stewart

 

FLEET - Virgin Australia swaps MAX10s for MAX8

Virgin Australia has announced it has decided to swap some of its Boeing B737-10s it has on order into the B737-8. In total, it has converted twelve of its 25 B737-10s into the B737-8.

The airline is doing this to ensure the airline is able to continue to take delivery of new aircraft to renew and expands it fleet. This has come under pressure due to the delayed certification of the B737-10. Originally, Virgin Australia was set to take delivery of its first MAX10 next year but this is pushed with at least another year. Delivery of its newly converted B737-8s are set for 2025.

Next to the conversion, the airline will also add additional B737-800s to its fleet and is set to sign leases for at least three former Rex aircraft in the coming months.

The current fleet of Virgin Australia is made-up of nine B737-700s, 75 B737-800s, and eight B737-8s.

Photo by Virgin Australia.

SPECIAL LIVERY - Arajet Welcomes 10th Boeing 737 MAX 8 With Dominican Flag Livery As It Eyes US Flights

Arajet, a Dominican Republic-based low-cost carrier, has welcomed its tenth Boeing 737 MAX 8 with a special livery that showcased the country’s flag across the fuselage of the aircraft. Named the ‘Los Haitises,’ the aircraft joined the airline’s fleet on June 10, 2024

Photos: Arajet

 

FLEET - Copa Airlines pushes MAX 8 EIS to mid-3Q24

Copa Airlines (CM, Panamá City Tocumen International) has delayed its inaugural B737-8 flight by six weeks, to August 15, 2024, ch-aviation research has revealed.

The ch-aviation schedules module shows the Panamanian carrier plans to deploy the type on eight routes from Panamá City Tocumen International namely:

Asuncion (5x weekly starting August 15);

Lima International (8x weekly starting August 15);

San José Juan Santamaría (3x weekly starting August 15);

Bogotá (1x weekly starting August 16);

Guatemala City (2x weekly starting August 16);

Havana International (4x weekly starting August 16);

San Pedro Sula (1x weekly starting August 17); and

Rosario Islas Malvinas (3x weekly starting August 18).

ch-aviation has asked Copa Airlines for comment.

At the end of 2023, the Panamanian carrier expected to add three B737-9s and twelve B737-8s in 2024 but to date has not taken on a single plane, stating that Boeing's delivery delays were "partly due to increased regulatory scrutiny and quality lapses at key suppliers.”

In the fourth quarter of 2023's financial results, parent entity Copa Holdings’s chief executive, Pedro Heilbron, said the B737 MAX delivery delays would reduce the company’s estimated capacity growth for the coming year to approximately 10% from the original expectation of between 12% to 14%.

Overall, Copa has firm orders for 57 MAX to be delivered between 2024 and 2028. These new airframes will allow the company to transition to a new-gen fleet by retiring its B737-700s in 2028 and reducing its B737-800s from 68 in 2024 to 43 in 2030. In the meantime, the MAX will increase from 38 projected in 2024 to a maximum of 86 in 2029.

Copa Holdings closed 2024 with a fleet of 106 aircraft, operated by Copa Airlines and sisters Wingo (Colombia) and Wingo (Panama).

CH Aviation

Photo: Duncan Stewart

SPECIAL COLORS - COPA AIRLINES / B737 MAX8 / HP-9927CMP - " Panama Live for More"

Photo: Duncan Stewart