Today , Greater Bay Airlines (GBA) and Boeing announced of an order for 15 Boeing B737-9 Max aircraft. The agreement also includes a commitment for five 787 Dreamliners to support GBA’s long-term plan to launch international long-haul service.
Seeing an expansion opportunity, Greater Bay Airlines bets big on the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area) , that is a vibrant city cluster with a population of over 86 million and a combined GDP of nearly US$2 trillion.
GBA had commenced the scheduled service in July 2022 and is currently operating flights to Bangkok, Taipei and Tokyo among other destinations. GBA operated the inaugural Hong Kong – Tokyo flight earlier in January to add the carrier’s third destination to its network followed by Seoul.
The new Hong Kong-based carrier said the 737-9 will form the backbone of its future fleet as it seeks to operate more flights between Hong Kong and major cities in Asia and Mainland China. GBA plans to leverage the 737-9’s enhanced capacity and range to lower trip costs and expand its network.
Wong Cho Bau, Chairman of GBA said,
“The 737-9 will allow GBA to open up new routes from Hong Kong with unmatched economics,” “The new order will bring fantastic growth possibilities to GBA and enable us to strive for excellence in an innovative way for our valued customers.”
GBA is an all-Boeing carrier currently operating a fleet of three 737-800 jets with flights to four destinations, including Bangkok, Taipei, Tokyo and Seoul. The airline also plans to bring in a number of additional 737-800s to meet its expansion needs before the arrival of the 737-9.
Stan Deal, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes said ,
“GBA’s commitment for 737-9s is a major endorsement of our 737 MAX family and its ability to serve new markets,” “The 737-9 will provide GBA with unmatched efficiency and reliability and lower operating costs, while continuing to provide a premium on-board experience for its passengers.”
The 737-9 is designed to seat more than 190 passengers in a two-class configuration with a range of 3,300 nautical miles, providing operators added capacity and increased profitability within their network.
The 737 MAX family delivers enhanced efficiency, improved environmental performance and increased passenger comfort to the single-aisle market, while offering excellent economics and reducing fuel use and emissions by 20% compared to the airplanes it replaces. Since the 737 MAX was launched in 2011, more than 100 customers around the world have placed firm orders for more than 5,300 airplanes.
Greater Bay Airlines is a Hong Kong-based carrier offering scheduled passenger and cargo services. The airline, which commenced scheduled service in July 2022, has a plan to develop an extensive network of air services to major cities in Asia and Mainland China from Hong Kong, riding on the back of the opening of the three-runway system at Hong Kong International Airport in late 2024.
Source : Boeing Media
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