Some important news for the flag carrier of the tiny state of Luxembourg has come from the Paris air show. Luxair has in fact placed an order for one of the least common versions of the Boeing 737, the MAX-7 variant. Let’s find out more regarding this order placed with Boeing.
The Luxair Boeing 737 MAX Order
Because of the small size of the airline, an order for 4 aircraft is quite important news. Just think that as of June 2023 Luxair operates a fleet of 19 planes in total. That the airline has just ordered in excess of 20% of its current fleet.
These 4 Boeing 737 MAX-7 planes ordered at the Paris air show extend Luxair’s order list with Boeing. The airline’s expecting to receive other 6 Boeing 737 MAX-8, a slightly larger version of the jet.
These planes will both replace and expand the current fleet, allowing the small flag carrier to operate new routes or up frequency on others.
An Uncommon Aircraft Choice
The variant of the 737MAX that Luxair ordered is quite an uncommon one at the moment. Orders for the Boeing 737 MAX-7 have only been placed by American low cost airline Southwest expecting a total of 189 of the type.
This smallest version of the 737 MAX lineup can accomodate between 150 and 160 passengers depending on the cabin configuration. Only time will tell if Boeing will gather more orders for this tiny version of the Boeing 737 MAX.
What Will the Cabin Configuration Be?
The cabin layout is all down to a decision of Luxembourg’s flag carrier. If Luxair simply aims to replace the hard product of the retiring 737-700 the cabin layout will be a very standard all economy cabin with a 3-3 layout. Business class in this case is created by blocking every central seat.
However if they aim to upgrade their product they might opt to go down the path they already undertook with their Boeing 737-800. On these planes the airline installed 3 rows of business class in a 2-2 layout with economy class in a 3-3 classic layout.
The Current Luxair Fleet in June 2023
Manufacturer | Type | Quantity |
---|---|---|
737-800 | 4 | |
737-700 | 4 | |
DHC 8-400 | 11 |
As of June 2023 the small flag carrier of Luxembourg operates a fleet of 19 planes. Out of the 19 total, 8 are produced by Boeing while 11 are Canadian made De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400. The airline doesn’t operate any European produced planes at the moment for its operations.