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CALGARY — WestJet (WS) has placed an order for 7 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, cementing a solid May for the American aircraft manufacturer.
The order, placed in May and announced today, will add to the Canadian carrier’s fleet of 55 in-service Boeing 737-8s, with orders for 12 more on the way. While it has received many MAXs directly from Boeing, WS’s 737 MAX fleet also consists of many second-hand aircraft, including all nine former Lynx Air (Y9), six from Swoop, and now nine from Sunwing aircraft in its network.
WestJet has confirmed to Airways that the variants ordered include both the Boeing 737-8 and 737-10 aircraft, adding these to an outstanding backlog for 12 Boeing 737-8 and 54 737-10 aircraft with options for 22 more. The carrier also operates 36 737-700s, 55 737-800s, and seven 787-9 Dreamliners in its mainline fleet.
The news comes as Boeing announces its order summary for May. Usually, May is quiet for orders as the industry prepares for the summertime airshows in Paris or Farnborough, but Qatar Airways (QR) changed that. On May 14th, the Doha-based carrier purchased up to 210 wide-body jets from Boeing, the most significant order ever secured by Boeing, valued at US$96 billion.
The order consists of 30 Boeing 777, 45 787-9, 75 787-10 aircraft, plus 50 options, and was announced during POTUS’ visit to the Middle Eastern country.
Also during the month, Saudi lessor and first-time Boeing customer AviLease ordered 20 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft with options for 10 more. AviLease owns and manages 200 aircraft for 48 airline customers worldwide. This new order is expected to be fulfilled by 2032.
Additionally, May was significant for undisclosed airlines, which took 126 jets out of a total of 303 ordered during the timeframe. 119 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft were bought, as well as 7 787-9 Dreamliners. It’s expected that some of these will be disclosed at the 2025 Paris Air Show, which begins next week.
Stay tuned to Airways for on-the-ground reports from the world’s largest airshow.
Featured image: Michael Rodeback/Airways
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