Orders a plenty from Indo-Asia-Pacific carriers in 2024

February 1st 2024

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Amidst the gloom of recent times there was one bright moment for troubled Boeing. Read More » In January, the OEM handed over a new B737 MAX 8 to China Southern Airlines (CSA), the first delivery of the type to a Mainland customer since the MAX was grounded in 2019 following fatal crashes of the type off Indonesia in 2018 and in Ethiopia in 2019. With the flight number CZ5073, used by CSA for delivery flights, the MAX departed from Seattle’s Boeing Field to Guangzhou via Honolulu.

It will not be the last delivery to an airline in the region this year nor the first new aircraft order from an Indo-Asia-Pacific carrier. As they accelerate operations several airlines either have placed orders with Boeing and Airbus or are considering new fleet acquisitions in 2024.

They include Malaysia Airlines, which has indicated it plans an order later this year to complete its narrowbody replacement program. The airline already has 25 B737 MAXs on order to begin replacing its fleet of approximately 50 B737-800s, but has made it clear it will consider all manufacturers for its next narrow-body order.

Cathay Pacific is looking at a wide-body order to replace its A330s and older B777s. It already has announced it will accept 48 new generation passenger aircraft into its fleet with deliveries to 2028. They include A350s, A321neo, and Boeing’s 777X.

Japan Airlines is considering options for replacement of its B767s and some of its narrow-bodies.

Elsewhere in the region, Philippines LCC, Cebu Pacific, is in talks with Boeing and Airbus for more than 100 narrow-bodies and India’s Akasa Air has signaled a triple-digit airplane order is imminent. Air Astana Group took delivery of a new A321neo last month, increasing its fleet to 50 and has said it intends to fly 80 aircraft by year-end 2028.