Jet Airways places order for 20 Boeing 737-800 jets

18 October, 2007:

In a deal worth US$1.5 billion, India’s largest private airline Jet Airways has ordered 20 single-aisle 737-800 jets from Boeing Co.

Jet Airways, which launched service in 1993, already has 50 Boeing 737s in its fleet. It offers about 340 daily flights to 53 destinations in India and international markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, the United States, Canada, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. A report said that Jet Airways had, in August 2007, exercised options to buy three of Boeing's extended-range 777s, adding to an order it placed two years ago for 10 777-300ERs.

In January 2007, it agreed to buy 10 of Boeing's new midsize, long-haul 787s.

Last week, Boeing announced it was delaying the first delivery of the 787 six months until November or December 2008 because of problems encountered assembling the first plane. Jet Airways is scheduled to receive its 787s between July 2011 and December 2012.

According to a report, the short- to medium-range 737 is Boeing's best-selling airplane. The company has said that the 737-800 is the most popular of its gen-next models. It may be recalled that Boeing had kick started the gen-next model building with the 737-600 series. The 737-800 aircraft seats between 110 and 180 passengers in two classes.

Boeing, as of end September 2007, has a list of unfilled orders, of nearly 1,800 737s worth more than $125 billion at list prices.

Meanwhile, another report added that Air India Express, the budget airline operated by national carrier Air India, has inducted a brand new Boeing 737-800 into its fleet. With this the number of new B737-800 aircraft in Air India Express' fleet has gone up to 10. The budget airline has seven leased aircraft of the same make, the report said.

Air India Express flies to destinations like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, Muscat, Salalah in UAE and Oman, Bahrain and Doha, Singapore and Colombo.