Short-haul operator Norwegian has signed lease deals with AerCap for ten new Boeing 737-800 MAX 8s - boosting its fleet to 80 aircraft ready for upcoming summer seasons.
The agreement with the world’s largest aviation leasing company also includes eight 737-800 NGs, which are part of the 70 aircraft fleet operational for this summer’s season across the Nordics and to key European destinations, with the remainder coming on stream next year, the airline revealed.
“The addition of these aircraft will help us achieve our target of building a larger, modern and more fuel-efficient fleet. This will in turn enable us to deliver our products and services in a wide network of routes in the Nordics and to European destinations,” said Geir Karlsen, CEO of the Fornebu, Norway-based carrier.
At around 14% more fuel-efficient than previous-generation aircraft, Norwegian says the Boeing 737 MAX 8 will contribute to the company’s ambitious target to reduce its carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 when compared with 2010 figures.
The company has previously announced several lease agreements to increase its fleet from the current 51 aircraft to this summer’s fleet of 70 with options on some of that number to substitute them with equivalent Airbus narrowbodies.
Norwegian celebrates its 30th anniversary next year but started as a low-cost carrier with Boeing 737 aircraft in 2002. The airline grew dramatically in the mid-2010s, with a network map spanning from Argentina to Thailand at its 2019 peak. Following a messy demise in 2020, it has relaunched as a much smaller short-haul operator.
