2026 will see the arrival of Japan Airlines’ first Boeing 737 MAX.
Japan Airlines updated its short-haul fleet by ordering 21 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
The previously reported agreement involved talks between the Japanese firm and both Airbus and Boeing, with the airline debating between the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX for its upcoming short-haul fleet. However, Japan Airlines decided against switching to the narrow-body model from the European manufacturer since it already has 43 Boeing 737-800 NextGeneration (NG) aircraft in service.
According to data from ch-aviation.com, its joint venture with Qantas, known as Jetstar Japan, has 19 Airbus A320 and three A321neo aircraft in its fleet. Boeing announced on March 23, 2023 that Japan Airlines will get its first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in 2026. The aircraft type “reduces both fuel use and carbon emissions by 15% compared to the airplanes the company is replacing.”
Japan Airlines President Yuji Akasaka said, “We are pleased to choose the Boeing 737-8, a member of the very latest 737 MAX family, to replace our Boeing 737-800s, which make up the majority of the JAL Group’s fleet. By using “a combination of these super-efficient aircraft, operational advancements, and new fuel-saving technologies,” Akasaka continued, the business hopes to get closer to its objective of becoming carbon-neutral by 2050.
According to information provided by ch-aviation.com, Japan Airlines’ fleet also includes 16 Airbus A350-900, 26 Boeing 767-300ER, three Boeing 777-200ER, twelve Boeing 777-300ER, 23 Boeing 787-8, and 22 Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Also, according to information on the website, it has unfulfilled orders for 15 jets, including two A350-900s and thirteen A350-1000s. Only two aircraft, a pair of A350-900s, were delivered to Japan Airlines in 2022.
The decision by the Japanese carrier to order the 737 MAX, according to Stan Deal, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), represents “the next milestone in our longstanding collaboration.”
