Luxair Purchases 2 Boeing 737-8 Aircraft

Following its Board of Directors' meeting on Friday 3 March 2023, Luxair has announced the purchase of two Boeing 737-8 aircraft, due to be delivered in the first quarter of 2026.

In the meantime, Luxair will temporarily lease from Boeing two other 737-8 which will be operated by its own crews, until the delivery of new aircraft.

In anticipation of increasing demand in the Luxembourg and Greater Region markets, Luxair has secured an immediate fleet increase with Boeing based on two Boeing 737-8 aircraft under a leasing agreement which will enter into service in the summer 2023 season. These aircraft will be operated by Luxair crews and are expected to allow Luxair to better mitigate the financial impact of the energy crisis, given the increased efficiency of these new generation planes.

Furthermore, Luxair and Boeing are negotiating a purchase of two additional aircraft of the same type to be delivered in 2027, when the lease agreement will run out. According to Luxair, the purchase of up to four Boeing 737-8 aircraft is an essential part of investments in the future of Luxair.

The Boeing 737-8, scheduled for delivery in 2026, will have a capacity of up to 186 seats with a seating arrangement that offers, according to Luxair, a more comfortable flying experience. On board, there will be a more spacious cabin, improved seating comfort, greater than average seat spacing of other airlines (30 inches) and larger overhead bins to accommodate more cabin baggage.

Moreover, with a range of 3,100 nautical miles (5,740 km), the Boeing 737-8 will already in 2023 extend Luxair's current operating range. The aircraft will be used for longer flights such as those currently operated to Dubai, Cape Verde and Senegal but will also serve Luxair's remaining network.

The Boeing 737-8 aircraft are expected to offer flexibility across the Luxair network while significantly reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 20% compared to previous generations of aircraft, thus helping Luxair pursue its journey towards carbon neutrality and to sustain the Luxembourg social model due to improved economics.

Conscious of the impact of its activities on the environment, Luxair has been supporting the promise of "Net-Zero carbon emissions by 2050" submitted by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) since 11 October 2021 and has committed itself to sustainable flights by 2050.

"Today is a good day for Luxair, our staff and our esteemed clients. Luxair took a large step into the direction of securing its role as the quality airline of Luxembourg and the Greater Region. I want to thank our Board of Directors for this act of trust, our staff members who helped us in the last years and all our valued customers. Today marks just the beginning of the journey of securing the long term future of Luxair. Much more is yet to come…" said Gilles Feith, CEO of Luxair.

"With the selection of the 737-8, Luxair is taking a new and important step towards a more sustainable operation, offering the very latest aircraft technology to its passengers whilst significantly lowering CO2 emissions. Reducing noise generated by takeoffs and landings is an important area of environmental performance, especially for airport surrounding communities. The 737-8 is a quieter airplane helping create a 50% smaller noise footprint," noted Ricardo Cavero, Vice President Europe & Israel Sales and Marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes.