European premiere: Luxair becomes fourth operator of Boeing 737 Max 7

The order book for the smallest Boeing 737 Max is well filled. A total of 286 orders have been received. The most important market is North America, because so far all orders have come from Southwest, WestJet and Allegiant, as well as the US and Canada.

Not anymore. Because Luxair ordered four Boeing 737 Max 7s at the Paris Air Show. This makes the Grand Duchy’s airline the first customer of the smallest Max version in Europe. CEO Gilles Feith emphasized in a statement that the move is a further investment in the airline’s growth.

Luxair is focused on growth

Growth is the airline’s goal this year. Luxair announced in March that it would lease two Boeing 737-8 aircraft for four years, while also placing a firm order for two more aircraft. Six weeks later, the Grand Duchy’s national airline bought two more 737 Max 8s. All four jets are scheduled to join the fleet in 2026 and 2027. In the first phase, they will primarily replace the smaller Boeing 737-700s at Luxor, which have been around for years.

However, it is currently unclear when Boeing will deliver the four 737 Max 7s to Luxair. Model not yet approved. Boeing still expects to get the green light from the FAA by the end of the year, but recently moderated expectations. According to the aircraft manufacturer, the process is more complicated due to new documentation requirements.

Target is second base

With capacity expansion, Luxair is moving closer to its goal of a second base in France. The Luxair boss envisions Lorraine Airport near Metz in France as a second base. The airport is 100 kilometers south of Luxembourg by road, but from Feith’s point of view it is less.

The airline has applied for traffic rights at the airport. French authorities have yet to respond. Feith explained that his airline needed more planes for the second base – and now he had ordered them.