Canada’s second largest airline, Westjet has placed an order for a whopping 42 Boeing 737-Max-10 aircraft. The airline made the announcement today. The deal is valued at US$5.6 billion at list price of the jets.
A WestJet representative said: “The 737-10 will be a game changer, with one of the lowest costs per seat among mid-range aircraft. This will foster our low-cost positioning and affordability for Canadians,” said Alexis von Hoensbroech, WestJet Group’s chief executive officer. “In addition, with its lower fuel consumption and reduced emissions, the 737-10 will further improve the environmental footprint of our fleet.”
The order of the 42 planes is a firm order. This is because according to the sale agreement, WestJet actually has an option to purchase an additional 22 Boeing 737-Max-10 on top of the confirmed 42 aircraft.
“The 737-10 will provide WestJet with additional capacity and unrivalled efficiency as the airline expands its network of destinations across Canada and around the world,” said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “We are proud that WestJet sees the value of the 737 MAX family and is adding the 737-10 to complement the 737-8 for outstanding capability, flexibility and improved sustainability.”
In a way, this brings the total of Westjet’s order to 64 planes that must be delivered by Boeing in the next 6 years.
On its part, Westjet said it will now accept delivery of “no fewer than 65 aircraft” in the next six years, with at least 50 being 737-10 jets. WestJet and Boeing on Thursday did not provide any details on the delivery timelines.
It is worth noting that the Boeing 737-Max-10 aircraft has not been certified the safety regulators yet. Boeing has a year-end deadline to win regulatory approval for the jet model. Otherwise, it must meet new cockpit alerting requirements under a 2020 law, unless U.S. Congress waives it.
Back in July 2022, RyanAir which also expects to receive an order of the Boeing 737-Max-10 aircraft expressed doubt that the plane-maker can meet the deadline for certification this year.
“I think Boeing accepts that it won’t get certified by year end, but I suspect that Congress will approve an extension to that certification process out into early 2023,” Ryanair Group Chief Executive Michael O’Leary said in an interview.
