The Boeing 737 MAX could soon find another major customer in Japan. If reports are to be believed, Japan Airlines could place an order for several MAX aircraft as it embarks on a fleet renewal program. Boeing’s 737 MAX series competes directly with the popular Airbus A320neo family of jets and has been increasingly finding new customers after getting worldwide approval to fly again.
Japan Airlines interested in MAX
Boeing will likely receive an order for 20 737 MAX aircraft from Japan Airlines. The carrier has been hunting for the latest-generation narrowbody planes to renew its medium-haul fleet and, according to Bloomberg, is favoring Boeing’s 737 over Airbus’ best-selling A320 family of aircraft.
Japan Airlines has been in conversations with both Airbus and Boeing. According to people familiar with the matter, it could end up ordering the 737 MAX planes comprising both the smaller MAX 8 and the larger MAX 10 variant. Bloomberg reports that talks are still ongoing and that an order could be placed towards the end of this month, followed by an official announcement later.
Per ch-aviation, Japan Airlines has a fleet of 43 Boeing 737-800 planes, which it flies on domestic as well as medium-haul international routes within Asia. The average age of these planes is a little over 13 years
MAX in Japan
While Japan Airlines’ MAX order, if finalized, will be a significant win for Boeing, it wouldn’t be Japan’s first MAX order. In July 2022, All Nippon Airways (ANA) became the first Japanese airline to be a MAX customer when it confirmed its order of 20 737 MAX 8 airplanes. The deal also included options for 10 further MAXs.
In January, Japan’s low-cost carrier Skymark also confirmed that it will be ordering four MAX aircraft from Boeing with the option to acquire two more in the future.
The two fatal accidents involving MAX aircraft had shrouded the airliner’s future in uncertainty around the world, including in Japan. Before finalizing its MAX order last year, ANA sat on the decision for two years until the plane was deemed fit to fly again following software upgrades. But developments in the last year have shown that Boeing has won back the confidence of Japanese carriers for their narrowbody fleet requirements.
A320 vs 737 MAX
Boeing’s 737 MAX has found several takers in the last one year. While Airbus’ A320neo family of aircraft remains extremely popular, it now forms a bulk of the plane maker’s order backlog, amounting to more than 7,000 planes.
Following its recertification, the 737 MAX has found several customers, including Air India, Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Airlines, Luxair, and others, possibly offering a better deal and delivery timeline than Airbus. As airlines around the world renew their narrowbody fleets, it’ll be interesting to see how the A320 vs 737 MAX rivalry plays out in the coming years.
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Source: Bloomberg
