Air Astana
Announced at the 2019 Dubai Airshow, Air Astana intends to order 30 Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes to serve for its new low-cost airline FlyArystan. The companies today signed a letter of intent for the 30 aircraft with a list price value of $3.6 billion.
Air Astana currently operates a fleet that includes Boeing 757, 767 and the Airbus A320 family. In May, the airline launched FlyArystan; the new airline has seen strong ticket sales in just the first few months of operation. The plan is to expand the fast-growing domestic network, with international services to Moscow commencing next month.
Air Astana has had a strong relationship with Boeing ever since the airline started flying in 2002 with a pair of 737NGs. Today we operate both 757s and 767s and we believe that the MAX will provide a solid platform for the growth of FlyArystan throughout our region, once the aircraft has successfully returned to service.
Peter Foster, President and CEO of Air Astana
SunExpress
Announced at the Dubai Airshow, SunExpress is exercising options for 10 additional Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. The purchase, valued at $1.2 billion according to list prices, adds to a previous SunExpress order for 32 MAX airplanes.
We stand behind our strategic decision to phase the 737 MAX into our fleet for all of its economic and ecological advantages, mid- and long-term. We have full confidence that Boeing will deliver us a safe, reliable, and efficient aircraft.
Jens Bischof, CEO of SunExpress.
“However, it goes without saying that this requires the undisputed airworthiness of the model, granted by all relevant authorities. Our utmost priority at SunExpress is and has always been safety.”
SunExpress specialises in offering direct connections between Europe, Turkey, and popular holiday destinations. It currently operates a fleet of Boeing 737-800s and the Airbus A330 family.
EGYPTAIR
Announced today at the Dubai Airshow, Egypt Air plans to grow its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet with an agreement to lease two more aircraft from AerCap. AerCap will now lease a total of eight 787s to Egypt Air.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has outperformed our expectations, helping us significantly reduce our fuel use and emissions, while bringing comfort to our passengers. We look forward to growing our network with additional 787-9 airplanes and flying more passengers to their destinations at an affordable cost.
Ahmed Adel, chairman and CEO of EGYPTAIR Holding Company
To maintain its fleet of 787s EGYPTAIR also announced agreements with Boeing this week, this includes a Landing Gear Exchange and Quick Engine Change kit solutions.
The Republic of Ghana
Boeing and the Republic of Ghana announced today that the country intends to re-launch an airline, starting with the 787-9 Dreamliner. The parties signed a memorandum of understanding at the Dubai Air Show, for three aircraft with a list price value of $877.5 million.
There is a growing demand for air travel to and from Ghana and we believe the advanced 787-9 Dreamliner gives us an efficient and flexible machine to launch a regional network and eventually serve international destinations in the future.
Joseph Kofi Adda, Honorable Minister of Aviation and Member of Parliament, Republic of Ghana
Adda says the new carrier will be based in Accra and serve cities across West Africa. Future routes would include destinations to Europe, North America and Asia, the long-term plan is to open the airline to private investment and operation.
For the full coverage of the 2019 Dubai Air Show, stick around this blog and its associated social media platforms.