Summary
- EL AL Israel Airlines is considering options with Airbus to exchange its aging fleet of Boeing 737s.
- Airbus is in “serious” talks with EL AL, showing a robust interest in securing a deal, although Boeing will not be out of consideration as well.
- EL AL plans to expand its fleet from 46 to no less than 59 aircraft by 2028, and is exploring the potential for having the favored Airbus A321neos.
EL AL Israel Airlines is weighing its options because it looks to renew its short-haul fleet. The carrier has been a Boeing loyalist, and its current fleet only has airplanes manufactured by the US plane maker. But a recent report has revealed that EL AL can also be exploring options with Airbus to exchange its aging fleet of Boeing 737s.
Exploring options
EL AL is in conversation with Airbus for its popular A321neo jets. The airline has an all-Boeing fleet, signaling its close ties to the US, but a report by Reuters says that the airline is in “serious” talks with the European plane manufacturer.
Photo: Airbus
The carrier’s CEO, Dina Ben Tal Ganancia, told Reuters that nothing has been decided yet and that each Airbus and Boeing are within the running. But Airbus has been in constant touch with Israel for a possible deal. Ben Tal Ganancia was quoted as saying,
Currently, EL AL has no aircraft orders on the books, nevertheless it plans to expand its fleet from the present 46 aircraft to no less than 59 by 2028 as a part of its five-year plan. Naturally, each Airbus and Boeing are more likely to pitch hard for an order value that can run into billions of dollars.
It’s not yet certain which plane maker would find yourself getting the order. While Boeing will likely fight hard to keep up its association with the airline, Airbus’ A320 family of planes, particularly the higher-capacity A321neos, have been highly regarded with airlines and may very well be the deciding factor for EL AL as well.
Photo: Mike Fuchslocher/Shutterstock
Current fleet
Per ch-aviation, EL AL has 47 aircraft, of which 41 are in lively service. It has 17 Boeing 737-800 planes with a mean age of greater than 18 years and eight Boeing 737-900ER with a mean age of 8.6 years.
Its widebody fleet has 20 planes of Boeing 777-300ERs and Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft. It recently took delivery of its sixteenth 787 Dreamliner.
Record earnings
EL AL recently reported the very best second-quarter profit because the airline was privatized about 20 years ago. The carrier’s revenue for this yr’s second quarter was $630 million, a big 22% increase from the $516 million revenue earned throughout the corresponding quarter in 2022.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Shutterstock
It earned an operating profit of about $90 million, which was ten times the operating profit of $9.4 million earned in the identical quarter of last yr. Altogether, the revenues for this yr’s first six-month period reached almost $1.12 billion.
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