WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Boeing announced Tuesday that a new customer has ordered 40 of its 737 MAX 8 planes and has the potential to order 40 more later. Spirit AeroSystems builds the fuselages for the planes.
The customer is Avia Solutions Group, the world’s largest aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI) provider. It has 11 air operator certificates, including Avion Express, Smartlynx, Klasjet, Air Explore, BBN, Ascend Airways and Skytran, that operate on behalf of various scheduled airlines and tour operators.
“As the world’s largest ACMI provider, carrying over 35 million passengers annually for our clients, we have committed to a strategic approach of expanding our capacity to meet our customers’ seasonal needs, and our first order with Boeing is a key pillar of this,” Gediminas Ziemelis, Avia Solutions Group chairman, said in a news release.
Boeing to pay Spirit AeroSystems up to $350M in advance payments
He said the Boeing planes will give Avia’s customers operational flexibility and greater fuel efficiency. Boeing said the 737-8 is the world’s most versatile single-aisle plane, capable of operating profitably on short- and medium-haul routes.