Spanish airline Air Europa is growing its fleet this summer with five leased Boeing 737-800s, followed by the first three MAX 8s next year. The airline is also growing the number of Boeing 787-9s with eight aircraft in the next two years, it said earlier this week in a media statement.
Two of the five 737-800s have already been delivered by lessors BBAM and Aergo but have yet to enter service. They will be operated by Aeronova. Another three -800s are slated for delivery from three different lessors in the coming weeks.
Next year, three MAX 8s will join Air Europa on lease from AerCap. In August last year, the lessor announced a long-term agreement for ten MAX 8s. In its release, Air Europa said that on top of the three aircraft, it will take delivery of “another seventeen that the airline has already committed under lease between 2025 and 2027.”
Also part of the strategic plan 2023-2025 is the induction of more Dreamliners. Air Europa already operates eleven 787-8s and twelve -9s, but agreed with AerCap last year to lease five 787-9s. These aircraft have already been built and done first flights in 202. They are currently in inventory at Boeing as they need rework under the joint verification work program to correct production quality issues.
In this week’s media statement, the airline indicates that it wants to add more Dreamliners to the fleet. “Air Europa is also continuing with its growth plan and plans to incorporate six Boeing 787-9s over the next financial year, to which another two will be added, on a rental basis, in 2025.”
By 2025, Air Europa will likely be part of the International Airlines Group (IAG) after the two agreed in February on the acquisition by IAG for €400 million. The transaction is still subject to regulatory approval from the Spanish government and European Commission. During the HY1 earnings call today, IAG CEO Luis Gallego said that he is awaiting this process to start, probably in October.
“We are in the pre-notification phase with the European Commission and in the process of submitting the information. We are talking with potential partners for remedies and trying to show that Madrid needs to compete with the bigger airport hubs,” Gallego said. He added that the acquisition of Air Europa “is critical to the operations of the Madrid hub.”
Active as a journalist since 1987, with a background in newspapers, magazines, and a regional news station, Richard has been covering commercial aviation on a freelance basis since late 2016.
In 2022, he has gone full-time freelance. Richard has been contributing to AirInsight since December 2018. He is also writing for Airliner World and Aviation News and until July 1 2023 in a part-time role with Dutch website and magazine Luchtvaartnieuws. Twitter: @rschuur_aero.
