Allegiant, All Airbus-Operator Takes Delivery of First Boeing 737 MAX

PHOENIX- Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air (G4) took delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft on Monday (September 9, 2024).

The ultra-low-cost carrier has been operating a fleet of all Airbus aircraft since October 2017 as it retired the last Boeing 757 from a fleet of six 757 aircraft.

Photo: Christopher McCartney, Sr. Vice President Maintenance & Engineering at Allegiant

Allegiant First Boeing 737 MAX Delivery

According to Flight Radar 24 data, Allegiant Air’s first Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 aircraft registered as N811NV operated a ferry flight G49400 on Monday from Seattle Boeing Field (BFI) to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA) in Arizona.

Christopher McCartney, Sr. Vice President Maintenance & Engineering at Allegiant shared the news on LinkedIn and he wrote,

“We took delivery this afternoon of our first 737-8200 max today (Monday). Love that new plane smell. This is a milestone for Allegiant and my sixth different airframe that I have brought onto a certificate. Proud of the Allegiant teams that all helped make this day happen!!!!!!!!!!! Home at our hanger in Phoenix (IWA) then onto Orlando Sanford Airport (SFB) to start service.”

Here’s the video of Allegiant’s first 737 MAX landing at Pheonix taken by Matt Nissen, Financial Analyst at Boeing and a Pilot:

Allegiant Boeing 737-8-200 accommodates 190 passengers with varied seating options. It features 21 “Allegiant Extra” seats offering 6 additional inches of pitch, and 16 “Legroom+” seats in exit rows, providing enhanced space and comfort for travelers.

The airline has scheduled the first 737 MAX from November 1, 2024, from its base in Orlando Sanford Airport (SFB). Further, it will operate some flights from St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport (PIE) in Florida.

Photo: Cado Photo

737 MAX Operators in the US

With the delivery of 737 MAX, Allegiant Air joins the list of few US carriers that operate this type i.e. Alaska Airlines (AS), American Airlines (AA), United (UA), and Southwest (WN).

While the Major carriers mentioned below do not operate them as of September 2024.

• Delta Air Lines (DL)
• Frontier Airlines
• Avelo Airlines
• Hawaiian Airlines
• JetBlue
• Spirit Airlines
• Sun Country Airlines

But Delta has placed 100 aircraft orders of the Boeing 737 MAX. The deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2025.

We have reached out to Allegiant Air to know more about routes, official remarks, and delivery updates. Will update once we receive their email. So stay tuned.

Photo: Christopher McCartney, Sr. Vice President Maintenance & Engineering at Allegiant

Boeing Order

The major low-cost carrier in North America ordered 50 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in January 2022 with options to order 80 more aircraft. The firm order includes 30 737-7s and 20 737-8-200s. But it converted some 737-7s into 737 MAX 8-200s.

The airline’s initial order for the 737-7 variant placed it among a select group of customers for this smaller, yet-to-be-certified model. Other airlines in this group include Southwest Airlines, SkyUp Airlines (PQ), Luxair (LG), and Ruili Airlines (DR).

In conjunction with the order revision, Allegiant has secured significant financing to support its fleet expansion plans.

The carrier announced a loan agreement of up to $412.1 million from BNP Paribas and Jackson Square Aviation. This financing is earmarked specifically for the acquisition of the first four Boeing 737-8-200 aircraft in 2024.

Earlier, Allegiant Air expected 10 737 MAX in 2023, 24 in 2024, and the remaining 16 in 2025. However following the delays and supply chain issues, the delivery schedule was revised to 12 in 2024. This again got revised to just four in 2024.

Despite investment in new Boeing aircraft, Allegiant remains committed to its long-standing strategy of acquiring used Airbus aircraft.

However, the airline will retire some of its old Airbus A320 aircraft once it receives delivery of new 737 MAX jets by 2025.

What are your thoughts on Allegiant Air’s decision to pivot from the All Airbus fleet to Mix with Boeing 737 MAX delivery? Let us know in the comments below.

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