Egyptair, alongside with Ethiopian Airlines, is the second heavyweight in the African continent. Its operations are very different from its Ethiopian competitor, as it mainly serves the tourism industry in the country. Being so close to Europe, it relies on a fleet of narrow-body aircraft to connect it to all major European cities, with tourists flocking in year-round. The latest addition to the Narrow Body Fleet is the Boeing 737 MAX 8, of which the airline just received its first.
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First 2 Boeing 737 MAX joins Egyptair’s fleet
Egyptair was already a Boeing 737 aircraft utilizer, having in its fleet 30 NG aircraft. All NG aircraft are the 737-800 variant, which is also the most popular and most sold of the family.
Those aircraft are on average around 14 years old, meaning that, going through heavy rotations and constant pressurization cycles, they are getting on with their age.
Egyptair is therefore looking forward and preparing for the next 15 to 20 years of operations by including in its fleet the new generation of 737, the MAX.
The Egyptian airline is looking to take into its fleet 18 737 MAX 8 aircraft. However, those aircraft will not be directly delivered from the manufacturer, but at leased. Egyptair is receiving them from leasing firm SMBC Aviation Capital.
In the first days of May, the airline has taken delivery of its first two Boeing 737 MAX 8, both arriving from the US with a stopover in Reykjavik, Iceland.
The new aircraft has registration number:
- SU-GGM
- SU-GGN
With these aircraft going into service and taking over operations gradually from the 737 NG, Egyptair will unlock better performance and lower fuel burn, which will in turn translate to cheaper operations.
That is particularly important in a world where jet fuel seems will be expensive for the upcoming months and years.