10 December, 2018

GOL advances fleet renewal plan with leasing 11 737 Max 8 aircraft

Photo Boeing
The premier Brazilian airline GOL Linhas AĆ©reas Inteligentes has said this week that it will speed up its fleet renewal plans by signing a deal to lease 11 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft from leasing specialist Avolon.

Better than expected market conditions have allowed the carrier to move forward at a rapidly advanced pace with the modernisation plans for the new aircraft which are scheduled to start arriving in the second half of 2019. 

GOL is also putting up for sale a number of  Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG) aircraft under operating and finance leases as the new aircraft arrive. "We acquired the 737 MAX to make GOL's operations even more efficient and to offer our passengers additional flights aboard new and even more modern and safe aircraft. The 737 MAX exceeds the expected performance on every count," said Paulo Kakinoff, CEO of GOL. "We've been very impressed with the MAX's superior range, fuel efficiency and reliability. By accelerating our fleet renewal plan to this new technology, we will be able to further reduce our costs and open up more international destinations for our customers." 



GOL launched operations with the 737 MAX 8 in July 2018 with impressive results. Compared to GOL's 737-800 NG aircraft, the MAX 8 has decreased fuel consumption on GOL's routes by approximately 15%. Additionally, the increased range of the 737 MAX 8 has allowed GOL to further diversify its route network and to begin operating flights to North America. In fact, GOL's new Brasilia-Orlando route is the longest commercial 737 flight in history.

"GOL continues to be at the forefront of making air travel more accessible across Latin America. The airline is capitalizing the advantage of the MAX's long range and unmatched efficiency to profitably open new routes and reduce operating costs," said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales & Marketing for The Boeing Company. "We are honoured that GOL has experienced the many advantages of flying the MAX and selected to speed up deliveries to realize the benefits across their fleet."

In addition to the four new international destinations already announced - Miami, Orlando, Quito and Cancun – the additional 737 MAX 8s will allow GOL to launch a new international destination every quarter over the next two years.

Onboard, GOL's passengers will also enjoy the greater comfort and convenience provided by the Boeing Sky Interior, which includes: a spacious and welcoming cabin, dynamic LED lighting, and the largest and most accessible overhead bins in the market. The aircraft will also be equipped with Wi-Fi antennas, making it possible for passengers to access GOL's complete on-board entertainment platform during flights.   

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