Flybondi takes delivery of first 737-800

Flybondi (Argentina) has taken delivery of it's first Boeing 737-800, leased from SMBC. A second aircraft is due soon, which will enable the airline to commence low cost (LCC) service from initially El Palomar, Buenos Aires. Ten aircraft are planned to be in service by the end of 2018.

Boeing 737-8AS MSN 33821 L/N 1698 F/F 4/16/05
Ryanair EI-DHM 4/28/05 - 3/28/12
Nok Air HS-DBD 5/9/12 - 9/22/17
Flybondi LV-HKS 11/25/17 - present

American's latest 737-800 delivery = 300 in service

American Airlines took delivery of it's latest Boeing 737-800 October 30th, bringing it's -800 fleet to 300 in service. The first was delivered 2/7/99, with the fleet initially topping out at 77 units in December 2001. Ironically, that particular aircraft, N977AN (delivered 12/20/01) was written off in a landing accident at Kingston, Jamaica 12/22/09. It was in March 2009, after an extended (post 9/11 downturn) break, that additional 737-800s started being delivered to American.

Boeing 737-823 MSN 29503 L/N 184 F/F 1/13/99
American Airlines N901AN 2/7/99 - present [original colors]

N901AN in current colors - at Orange County, CA August 2017

[We'll add a picture of the latest delivery - N335PU - when available]

AA 737-800 in service fleet (annually at November 1st from 2000)
2000: 47    2001: 73
2002 to 2008: 77
2009: 100  2010: 144
2011: 163  2012: 189
2013: 221  2014: 241
2015: 260  2016: 280
2017: 300

Nine airlines have 100 or more 737-800s in service, as follows:

Ryanair 405
American Airlines 300
Southwest Airlines 167
China Southern Airlines 151
Hainan Airlines 142
United Airlines 139
Xiamen Airlines 130
Air China 122
Shandong Airlines 107

Jeju Air's 737 fleet rises to 30

Jeju Air (South Korea) Boeing 737-800 fleet has risen to 30 units following the delivery of a used aircraft (MSN 36814) from Amentum Aircraft Leasing. The ex-Norwegian aircraft was originally delivered in September 2009. The low cost carrier's entire fleet consists of used 737-800s, leased from a variety of leading operating lease companies. This is the 102nd used 737-800 lease recorded this year.

Swift Air 737-800 chartered to Havana Air

Swift Air (US) has painted a Boeing 737-800 in the full colors of Havana Air (Cuba). The latter company is an internet based travel service specializing in scheduled charters between Cuba and the United States. The company has in the past chartered a 737-400 (operated by Vision Airlines), while more recently utilizing Eastern Air Lines 737-800s (now owned by Swift Air).

Boeing 737-8CX MSN 32359/1041 Swift Air N277EA [operated for Havana Air]

The aircraft was delivered new to GOL (Brasil) as PR-GOJ January 14th 2002. Following lease return, it saw service with Aeromexico as N359AM from April 27th 2010 and Eastern Air Lines as N277EA from August 21st 2015.

Eastern Air Lines (JetTrak blog entry)

Eastern Air Lines continues to shrink

Eastern Air Lines (US) has reduced it's fleet to two 737-800s, following the return to lessors of it's sole 737-700, along with three 737-800s in the first half of 2017.

Miami, FL based Eastern is branded and liveried in the style of the original Eastern Air Lines that ceased operations January 18th 1991, having acquired the intellectual property and trademarks of the original airline.

Earlier this year, Swift Air (US) announced plans to acquire Eastern, and continue operating the carrier as a stand alone unit. Eastern has thus far operated as a charter airline, with scheduled service plans for the future. The airline has orders for 9 x 737-800s, 10 x 737 MAX 8s and 20 x Mitsubishi MRJ90s.

[Postscript: Eastern's last 737-800 was transferred to new owner Swift Air 9/2/17, so for now at least, it would appear the Eastern brand has quietly disappeared. The status of future orders as detailed above is to be determined].

Monarch receives first 737-800

Monarch Airlines (UK) received it's first Boeing 737-800 (MSN 40874/3316 G-ZBAV), expected to be mostly operated out of Birmingham this summer. The ex-Pegasus Airlines aircraft was built in mid 2010, and has operated with Pegasus since new. Monarch currently operates an all Airbus A320/A321 fleet (10 A320s and 25 A321s). However, Monarch will be rolling over this fleet from 2018 onwards with an order of 30 Boeing 737 MAX 8s. This is a full circle for Monarch, having started jet operations with used Boeing 720s, and subsequently a variety of new and used 737-200s, 737-300s and new 757s. The airline is also the only UK commercial airline to have not changed it's name (or merged or been taken over) since commencing service on April 5th, 1968.

Boeing 737-82R MSN 40874 L/N 3316 Monarch Airlines G-ZBAV Delivered 5/18/17

Boeing 737-82R MSN 40874 L/N 3316 Monarch Airlines G-ZBAV Delivered 5/18/17

Andes Airlines leases it's first 737-800

Andes Airlines (Argentina) leased it's first Boeing 737-800 (MSN 30007/746 LV-GWL) from Macquarie Airfinance, adding to an existing fleet of 4 MD-80s. The late 2000 vintage aircraft initially operated with South African Airways, followed by Firefly and Malaysia Airlines. The aircraft will enter service soon after painting and pre-service maintenance.

TAROM re-introduces 737-800 service

TAROM (Tarom - Romanian Air Transport) is to re-introduce Boeing 737-800 service following the lease of the first (of two) new aircraft leased from Babcock & Brown (US). The airline has also recently ordered two aircraft direct from Boeing. MSN 63701/6390 YR-BGJ was originally ordered by Pegasus Airlines (Turkey), but not taken up. TAROM previously operated three leased 737-800s between 2008 and 2015. It's current fleet includes 4 737-300 classics, 4 737-700s, 4 A318s and 2 A310-300s (both stored since 2016).

Boeing 737-82R MSN 63701/6390 TAROM YR-BGJ Delivered May 16th 2017 (LF BBAM)

Corendon Airlines receives first new 737-800

Corendon Airlines (Turkey) took delivery of it's first newly manufactured Boeing 737-800 (MSN 42058 TC-COR) on operating lease from Air Lease Corporation (US). The airline's existing fleet consists of 10 used 737-800s built between 1998 and 2008, including two also leased from Air Lease.

LOT - Polish Airlines receives it's first Boeing 737-800

LOT - Polish Airlines took delivery of it's first Boeing 737-800, leased from AerCap. The aircraft is an ex-China Eastern model (MSN 30682/1673) built in 2005, one of several used examples to be acquired to aid the airline's European route expansion plans. The aircraft (plus a second delivered May 14th) will initially serve the airline's Warsaw-London Heathrow services. LOT has previously operated a large fleet of 737 classics (-300, -400 & -500s), of which three 737-400s remain active. The remainder of it's regional jet fleet consists of Embraer E-170 & E-190 family aircraft.

AlbaStar adds 737-800s

AlbaStar (Spain) has added 2 used 737-800s to it's existing fleet of 4 737-400s. A 2000 vintage aircraft (MSN 27992) was leased from Castlelake (US), while a 2003 built aircraft (MSN 32920) was leased from Apollo Aviation Group (US)