Boeing said this week it has sold 60 aircraft to Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes, a Brazilian airline, comprising the largest order ever from a single airline in South America. All 60 of the airplanes will be the 737 Max model, at a value of about $6 billion at list price. The 737 Max has new engines from CFM International and new winglets. Boeing said the design will deliver better fuel efficiency and fewer carbon emissions than earlier models. This order puts the 737 Max at 724 firm orders to date. Deliveries are expected to start in 2017.
"Boeing has partnered with Gol since their inception just over 12 years ago," said Ray Conner, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We've watched them grow from a small start-up airline to a driving force in global aviation and we are proud to partner with them as the South American launch customer for the 737 Max." Gol is currently cutting jobs by about 12 percent, or 2,500 positions, according to the BBC, as the low-cost carrier seeks to become profitable again. Passenger growth has been strong in Brazil, the BBC said, but Gol has suffered from high fuel prices and competition from larger airlines.
Email this article
