Air Europa added the first Boeing 737 MAX to its fleet on Wednesday. With this, the airline, which becomes the first Spanish company to operate the 737-8 model, begins a major renovation of its short and medium-haul units with a commitment to innovation. This variant of the best-selling single-aisle aircraft in the history of commercial aviation represents a significant advance in terms of comfort, efficiency and sustainability thanks to a design and equipment that significantly improve the performance of this aircraft compared to the previous generation.
This 737-8 is the first of those ordered from AerCap, the world's largest lessor at all levels of aeronautical leasing, with which Air Europa maintains a close partnership. A total of four aircraft of this model will arrive this year, followed by ten more in 2026 and twenty more by mid-2027.
Air Europa will begin to incorporate 737-8s to cover medium-haul continental routes and, later and eventually, other short-haul routes between domestic destinations. This continues the airline's fleet renewal process, which completed its unification around Boeing-only models several years ago.
The new Boeing 737 MAX 8 represents a leap forward in its segment. In addition to meeting the highest quality and safety standards, it represents a significant improvement in sustainability. With optimized aerodynamics thanks to its design, it has two LEAP_1B engines that allow a range of up to 3,500 miles, increasing its performance efficiency. All this, together with the use of the most advanced systems to calculate the most suitable routes at all times, allows it to reduce fuel consumption by up to 20%, and avoid the emission of up to 3.6 million tons of CO2 per year. With this, the company is accelerating towards its goal of reducing these figures by 30% by 2030 compared to 2015 figures.
In terms of comfort, the new 737 MAX family aircraft is a marked improvement over its competition. Built with a 90% of reusable materials and with a lighter structure and components, such as its seats, it has larger 20% windows, dynamic LED lighting and much larger trunks for the 189 passengers it can carry.
"The incorporation of this unit opens a new phase for Air Europa. In addition to consolidating our ongoing fleet modernization process, we continue to innovate with the latest technology through aircraft that allow us to continue to lead the way in terms of sustainability and efficiency. It is also a model that contributes to reducing operating costs, including maintenance costs, thus helping us to continue to meet our long-term profitability objectives," said Juan José Hidalgo, Air Europa's Chairman and CEO.
Ricardo Cavero, vice president, Commercial Sales & Marketing Europe & Israel, Boeing, said, "Today's delivery of Air Europa's first 737 MAX is a further step in positioning the airline for the future, investing in the most advanced aircraft technology that will support Air Europa's growth plans and the decarbonization of its fleet. In addition to reducing overall fuel consumption and emissions, the 737 MAX will contribute to a 50% reduction in the noise footprint by reducing noise generated during takeoffs and landings at Air Europa's hubs at Madrid and Palma de Mallorca airports."
"The delivery of the first 737 MAX marks an important milestone for Air Europa as it becomes the first Boeing 737 MAX operator in Spain. AerCap is proud to support Air Europa's commitment to modernize its fleet with the most fuel efficient and sustainable aircraft in the industry. We thank Juan José Hidalgo, Richard Clark and the entire Air Europa team for their continued partnership and look forward to supporting their success over the coming years," said Aengus Kelly, CEO of AerCap.
