Per Reuters, El Al Israel Airlines is eyeing a new deal for Airbus aircraft.
The report indicates that El Al Israel Airlines is very much in serious talks with Airbus to purchase the A321neo, a popular narrow-body option for airlines around the globe.
The adjustment to the short-haul fleet would be hugely noticeable. Now, the airline has 44 in-service aircraft, with the 737-800 and 737-900ER being its two most critical narrow-body aircraft.
Currently, El Al has 14 in-service 737-800s and eight in-service 737-900ERs. However, adding the A321neo with a reported 30 units would completely transform the operations.
While a commitment to the Airbus A321neo seems a likely option for the airline, there are also, per Reuters, further discussions ongoing for the 737 MAX.
Such a deal currently seeing serious talks is only the beginning for the company, as an agreement may not be finalised until 2024. Therefore, allowing plenty of time for a change of heart, adjustments to the contract or something else.
El Al Israel has proposals from Airbus and Boeing for new narrow-body aircraft, and now it’ll be important to assess such options and determine what and how many units of which series will be best moving forward.
Considerations into fleet replacement are also part of the airline’s vision. Its 737-800s average age of 18.8 years, while the 737-900ERs average 8.6. So eventually, the goal would be to replace these units with next-generation aircraft.
