Several weeks ago, there were rumors that EL AL was considering refreshing its narrow body fleet. Well, this is now official, as EL AL has just placed its largest aircraft order in history.
In this post:
EL AL places big Boeing aircraft order
EL AL will be modernizing and growing its narrow body fleet, as the airline has announced plans to acquire up to 31 Boeing 737 MAXs, through a combination of purchases and leases. This order is comprised of 20 firm orders plus 11 options, and planes are expected to join EL AL’s fleet starting in 2028. It’s not stated which variants of the 737 MAX the airline has ordered, oddly.
Earlier this year, EL AL had been deciding between the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX family of aircraft for its fleet renewal. I’m not surprised to see EL AL going with the 737 MAX, given that the airline already operates 737s, and exclusively flies Boeing aircraft.
This represents EL AL’s single biggest aircraft order in history. This deal is valued at up to $2.5 billion at list prices. Airlines typically get huge discounts off those prices, though keep in mind that EL AL’s jets are a bit more costly than those belonging to other airlines, given the safety systems that are installed on them. For example, EL AL is the only airline in the world to install missile defense systems on its aircraft.
Here’s how EL AL CEO Dina Ben-Tal Ganancia describes this order:
“This is a significant milestone for EL AL, which will allow us to offer our customers the most advanced service and technology experience in the industry. The implementation of the long-term procurement plan, which began with the purchase of additional 787 Dreamliners earlier this year and culminates in the current deal, once again demonstrates our commitment to the Israeli public and the state.”
“EL AL has a central role in ensuring open skies for Israel. The implementation of our strategic plan – which aims to expand the fleet, increase the value proposition for customers and increase capacity and seating – will ensure a strong and growing company for many years to come.”
![](https://cdn.onemileatatime.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/EL-AL-737-1.jpg)
How the 737 MAX fits into EL AL’s fleet
For context, EL AL currently operates an all-Boeing fleet, comprised of Boeing 737s, Boeing 777s, and Boeing 787s.
When it comes to narrow body jets, EL AL has 24 Boeing 737s, with two thirds of those jets being 737-800s (an average of nearly 20 years old), and one third of jets being 737-900ERs (an average of nearly 10 years old). The 737 MAXs are expected to replace some of the existing 737s, and allow additional growth. I have to imagine that the 737-900ERs will stick around for some time, given that they’re still quite young.
I don’t think anyone is surprised to see EL AL selecting the 737 MAX for fleet renewal, as much as the jet has been having issues. This is the obvious choice in terms of fleet commonality compared to the existing jets. I just hope the airline isn’t relying on the 737 MAX 7 (doubtful) or 737 MAX 10, since those planes haven’t yet been certified, and it’s anyone’s guess when they will be.
EL AL has seen among its best financial performance in history in recent months, as it’s the only airline to have consistently served Israel since last October. Meanwhile other airlines have resumed service and then suspended it again, in light of the unstable situation.
The airline also faces some costs that other airlines don’t, from the expensive systems installed on its jets, to grounding its planes for one day per week, to the amount that it spends on security personnel.
![](https://cdn.onemileatatime.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/EL-AL-787.jpg)
Bottom line
EL AL has just finalized an order for up to 31 Boeing 737 MAXs, including 20 firm orders and 11 options. The planes should join EL AL’s fleet starting in 2028, and will allow the airline to replace some existing 737s, and also grow.
I don’t think the 737 MAX order should surprise anyone, given the carrier’s existing all-Boeing fleet, including the heavy focus on the 737.
What do you make of EL AL ordering the Boeing 737 MAX?
Do you think their purchase of 737 MAX will encourage flights on El AL……I don’t think so. Just the opposite. Yikes!
Obviously makes sense in terms of fleet commonality but certainly a political calculus as well in supporting the US's largest single exporter (Boeing) given US support of Israel.
Ben should really consider closing the comment section for those kind of posts.
Not gonna say about who is right and who is wrong (everyone's discussing in a so heated manner apparently), but everything with this is WAY out of control.
"but everything with this is WAY out of control."
And the 99% of other threads that devolve into Tim Dunn impersonators going completely off topic, aren't?
Clearly, an out of control chat section doesn't bother him (and perhaps even benefits), so why would this be different?
Why close the comment section? Is it too much for you to bear seeing people express "concern" and discuss a genocide, that is being streamed live on social media?
You realize if Israel wanted to commit "genocide" they could have carpet bombed the entire Gaza Strip in one day if they wanted to? Clearly you are just regurgitating Hamas terrorist propaganda. Never before has an enemy embedded itself so well in civilian infrastructure: mosques, schools, hospitals, apartment buildings, etc. but you go on posting your garbage...
And you need to stop regurgitating Hasbara propaganda by the terrorist Israeli government.
As Germany showed us, genocide can't be done in one day,
@Julia: If all the Jews lived in a densely populated area of 6000 sq km you can bet your ass Germany would have done a genocide in one day.
Stop regurgitating Hamas propaganda.
@Watson
What Hamas propaganda have I regurgitated, exactly?
That still doesn't mean Israel isn't committing a genocide, which it is.
@Julia: Comparing Israel to Nazi Germany.
Julia darlink …. your antisemitism is duly noted, however, moaning on like a Hamas drone is becoming increasingly tedious. Do move on now dearie and take your keyboard terrorist supporters with you.
Had you spent half as much time educating yourself about the history of the Middle East, as you have polluting this comments page, you might be a better person for it.
@AeroB13a
What have I said that is antisemitic? One example and how it counts as being antisemitic.
What's hilarious is the more people educate themselves about the Middle East, the more they realize how the Palestinians really are oppressed, and how Israel really is a brutal apartheid occupation state. If anything, that probably terrifies Zionists even more than Hamas does.
Now you can eff off, dearie, and take your genocide approving Hasbara propaganda nonsense away...
@AeroB13a
What have I said that is antisemitic? One example and how it counts as being antisemitic.
What's hilarious is the more people educate themselves about the Middle East, the more they realize how the Palestinians really are oppressed, and how Israel really is a brutal apartheid occupation state. If anything, that probably terrifies Zionists even more than Hamas does.
Now you can eff off, dearie, and take your genocide approving Hasbara propaganda nonsense away from this site.
Well, well Julia darlink, with a small mind like yours and a mouth reminiscent of a proverbial fish-wife …. please be assured that nobody will ever accuse you of being a lady.
One suspects that your uneducated rambling is all one can expect from an uneducated Hamas supporter. After all you do not appear to know the meaning of the words “Hasbara propaganda, genocide” or even “Apartheid”.
Agreed!!!!!! Great name by the way, comes from the Bible. For you non-believers Bible just means book but is usually associated with the Christian book. And what happens to Israel will eventually happen to the rest of the world. Maybe not by Hamas, but something will happen. You can't ignore Israel. And do you notice how much criticism Israel gets. It's because people don't know anything, or they are scared of Israel because Israel is different.
OMAAT's hypocritical libtard Israel-supporters would always hate Boeing but not when it's El Al who ordered their planes?
Your double standards are advancing for a worse sake every time.
Lots of discussion from pro-palestine people already. What truly baffles me is why these people come to an aviation blog. Work with many foreign policy related issues as it stands but this is an aviation blog and not ground zero for Palestine policy perspectives. If you want to talk about foreign affairs head on over to foreignaffairs.com or whatever. Would like to be talking about which variant we think El Al picked and not "a...
Lots of discussion from pro-palestine people already. What truly baffles me is why these people come to an aviation blog. Work with many foreign policy related issues as it stands but this is an aviation blog and not ground zero for Palestine policy perspectives. If you want to talk about foreign affairs head on over to foreignaffairs.com or whatever. Would like to be talking about which variant we think El Al picked and not "a country headed for self-destruct," "the airline of the genocidal entity," "partners in genocide" and so on.
On that note I suspect El Al will pick 7M8 and 7M9. They're quite conservative in terms of fleet choices and currently have the 737-800 and 737-900ER, so this would make sense. Max 10s are seemingly going to take a while to certify, and they have quite high costs, so unsure the Max 7 makes sense
I suppose I understand the additional cost/hassle of going to another provider (and maybe their missile defense systems only work on Boeing?), but given their reputation as an airline concerned about safety, wouldn't they have at least considered Airbus instead of the questionable-safety-at-best Max8 and Max9?
@itwastheblurstoftimes: Do you think El Al, Aeroméxico, Kenya Airways, Royal Air Maroc, LOT Polish Airlines, Copa Airlines and the like — which have either never operated a single Airbus aircraft in their history or did in the past but have no plan to do so again — will abandon their decades-long allegiance to Boeing, just because the A320neo family is perceivedly ‘safer’ than its Boeing counterpart? (Icelandair’s A321XLR order was an aberration, because FI knew...
@itwastheblurstoftimes: Do you think El Al, Aeroméxico, Kenya Airways, Royal Air Maroc, LOT Polish Airlines, Copa Airlines and the like — which have either never operated a single Airbus aircraft in their history or did in the past but have no plan to do so again — will abandon their decades-long allegiance to Boeing, just because the A320neo family is perceivedly ‘safer’ than its Boeing counterpart? (Icelandair’s A321XLR order was an aberration, because FI knew that Boeing simply could not come up with what it needed.)
@VT-CIE: I suppose that's a big ask for things that tend to move on a decadal timescale, and I guess it's not the responsibility of those airlines to hold Boeing to account. And they have precisely one alternative in Airbus. And you could make the argument that Boeing's decline in standards and quality is emblematic of the industry and indeed most industries (although I'd argue catastrophic malfunctions and murdering of whistleblowers isn't standard practice outside...
@VT-CIE: I suppose that's a big ask for things that tend to move on a decadal timescale, and I guess it's not the responsibility of those airlines to hold Boeing to account. And they have precisely one alternative in Airbus. And you could make the argument that Boeing's decline in standards and quality is emblematic of the industry and indeed most industries (although I'd argue catastrophic malfunctions and murdering of whistleblowers isn't standard practice outside of autocracies). I just think if EL AL or any of the other airlines you mentioned were considering exploring their options, maybe now would be the time to do it?
@quorumcall
Hopefully you can say the same towards the Zionists too. They were here even before the equally-stupid Palestinie supporters.
Oh yeah? Since we're on the topic of aviation, and I assume, it's not specific to civil aviation, since we are talking about Israel, let's discuss aviation matters like the dystopian AI killing systems deployed by "Israel"—such as 'The Gospel,' 'Lavender,' and 'Where is Daddy'—which are used to direct Israel's air force automated slaughter in Gaza, AKA the Gaza genocide.
It prevents any attempt to normalise discussion about Israel and proves the level of engagement on this issue. Israel and its apologists can run, but can't hide anymore. There are no safe spaces where they can just "talk business" and ignore the genocide in the room. Just as you couldn't talk about South Africa without mentioning apartheid; anything to do with Israel will invite comment on its murderous genocidal actions and its own apartheid.
The...
It prevents any attempt to normalise discussion about Israel and proves the level of engagement on this issue. Israel and its apologists can run, but can't hide anymore. There are no safe spaces where they can just "talk business" and ignore the genocide in the room. Just as you couldn't talk about South Africa without mentioning apartheid; anything to do with Israel will invite comment on its murderous genocidal actions and its own apartheid.
The genocidal colonial settler entity has run out of runway.
Those who have flown with and appreciate high airline security measures which surround the subject airline, will ignore the sniping comments from the terrorist supporters.
Oh please enough of that nonsense. Supporting and/or being sympathetic to Palestinians doesn't make you a supporter of terror.
It is hardly “Nonsense” to state the obvious to those who display gross ignorance concerning the subject issues.
Empathy for oppressed people who are suffering under a brutal occupation and genocide isn't ignorance, dearie, it's being enlightened and having empathy. You should try it sometime.
It's exactly what it is. Like could not be closer to the truth.
Think for a minute why countries like Iran North Korea China are all on the same side as you....have you thought about it?
Unless those individuals happen to be of non white or non Jewish ethnicity, in which case they likely faced harassment and abuse reminiscent of 1950s America or 1980s South Africa. It is the explicit policy of El Al to racially profile.
Boeing and El Al, partners in genocide
Thanks for the input, Adolph.
@stogieguy7
You mean the Adolf "Benjamin" Netanyahu of Israel?
That makes me support Boeing and El Al even more. Don't knock a good genocide until you try it.
@ORD_Is_My_Second_Home
So you admitted that it's a genocide. I can easily remember hypocrites like you crying all over the place "no genocides can be justified" when Russia invaded Ukraine, and that war lasted two years yet resulted a quarter of the Palestinian genocide of Israel since 2023.
You should be ashamed of yourself, or perhaps whoever taught you that Jews and Israelis are innocent whatsoever.
@Mason I think he's being sarcastic...
Also, "you should be ashamed of .... whoever taught you that Jews and Israelis are innocent whatsoever" Are you saying normal civilian Jews/Israelis are guilty of the IDF's actions? I don't like jumping to conclusions but whoa that's some blatant antisemitism right there (at least the way I see it). Are you saying we should blame (or worse) normal Jews for something their government is doing? That means we...
@Mason I think he's being sarcastic...
Also, "you should be ashamed of .... whoever taught you that Jews and Israelis are innocent whatsoever" Are you saying normal civilian Jews/Israelis are guilty of the IDF's actions? I don't like jumping to conclusions but whoa that's some blatant antisemitism right there (at least the way I see it). Are you saying we should blame (or worse) normal Jews for something their government is doing? That means we should also blame civilian Palestinians for Hamas's actions, right?
For the record, I think both governments have contributed their fair share to starting this war. Israel's govt seems a bit too imperialistic over the years (if that makes any sense) and Hamas seems to be using the Geneva convention as a checklist.
@JetBlueFanboy: Mason is OMAAT's resident genocidal anti-Semite, who has previously stated that Israelis deserve to be killed.
I don't understand why Ben allows him to stick around.
No, it's acceptable because these are smelly, barely-human Ishmaelites. All sons of Isaac should unite against them.
In the past six months the term "genocide" has joined "racist", "misogyny", "transphobia", and "fascist" on the list of words that have become almost meaningless due to their overuse. Being called a racist used to be a serious accusation that could have personal and/or professional consequences, but now it's just a throwaway slur that any reasonable person laughs-off. "Genocide" is sadly headed the same way. And a word to the wise - shouting protest-banner slogans...
In the past six months the term "genocide" has joined "racist", "misogyny", "transphobia", and "fascist" on the list of words that have become almost meaningless due to their overuse. Being called a racist used to be a serious accusation that could have personal and/or professional consequences, but now it's just a throwaway slur that any reasonable person laughs-off. "Genocide" is sadly headed the same way. And a word to the wise - shouting protest-banner slogans at people is not an argument, it's petulant, lazy, and pointless.
Bad Service - Bad Plan - What can go wrong?
The anti-Semites and general haters are out early.
About as much as those who are racist towards Arabs and Palestinians?
Go back to cuddling the Ishmaelites, traitor. How do you stand the stench?
The best choice for a country headed for self-destruct.
Israel will continue to flourish in a region consumed by hatred and backwardness. Israel is the ONLY democracy in the Middle East and more and more Arab countries will make peace with it over the next few years due to all the benefits that Israel provides in terms of security cooperation, technological innovation, etc.
Israel also isn't a real democracy. It is an apartheid state.
"Flourishing" in a forever war that is tanking its economy, sucking the youngest into an endless meat grinder and turning the country into a global pariah? 7 October and Israel's genocidal reaction ended the pretence of normalisation. There's no going back to "business as usual" ever again. Israel is headed for total international isolation.
It's not a democracy but a racist apartheid state that can only function by excluding and brutally occupying over 7 million...
"Flourishing" in a forever war that is tanking its economy, sucking the youngest into an endless meat grinder and turning the country into a global pariah? 7 October and Israel's genocidal reaction ended the pretence of normalisation. There's no going back to "business as usual" ever again. Israel is headed for total international isolation.
It's not a democracy but a racist apartheid state that can only function by excluding and brutally occupying over 7 million people, more than its own populace.
As for "security cooperation" do you mean Pegasus spy software to spy on journalists or other "high tech" surveillance and similar "innovations" they sell to the most brutal autocratic regimes even Saudi Arabia to eliminate or silence opponents. But hey, it's a racist apartheid democracy committing genocide, so that's ok!
You're correct, Malcolm - the war has dragged on for far too long. Israel should have been much, much more aggressive from the outset. If I were running the places I would have nuked the entire Gaza Strip into a flat sheet of radioactive glass on the morning of October 8, and accepted the sacrifice of the Israeli hostages as a necessary price for eradicating the Hamas menace on our doorstep.
Well one of your Jewish-Nazi cabinet members suggested doing just that. Of course nuking Gaza would have contaminated the rest of occupied Palestine, so slightly counterproductive and a reminder how meaningless its nuclear deterrence is. Like Hezbollah, Hamas is the product of previous genocidal rampages by the Jewish state in the occupied territories, Lebanon and elsewhere and Hamas have been backed by Netanyahu for decades. https://www.wrmea.org/2002-november/israel-created-two-of-its-own-worst-enemies-hamas-and-hezbollah.html Just don't complain when these things blow up in...
Well one of your Jewish-Nazi cabinet members suggested doing just that. Of course nuking Gaza would have contaminated the rest of occupied Palestine, so slightly counterproductive and a reminder how meaningless its nuclear deterrence is. Like Hezbollah, Hamas is the product of previous genocidal rampages by the Jewish state in the occupied territories, Lebanon and elsewhere and Hamas have been backed by Netanyahu for decades. https://www.wrmea.org/2002-november/israel-created-two-of-its-own-worst-enemies-hamas-and-hezbollah.html Just don't complain when these things blow up in your face, as they always do.
Maybe Israel just admires the way Boeing has trashed its own reputation and image and thought the Max's was a fitting symbol for its own suicidal nose drive.
I wouldnt call israel a racist apartheid state, israel is a country where every citizen has full rights liberty and freedom to give you an example if you were an arab man looking visibly arab while walking down the streets of tlv haifa or jlm you would feel 100% percent safe to the contrary if a visibly looking jew would walk the streets of istanbul amman or cairo they would be risking their life!
APARTHEID WHERE??????????????????????????????
@sol wingman
Oh please, Israeli-Palestinians are second citizens in Israel.
I imagine I could visit Russia or China or many other states and have a similarly positive impression. Arabs do not enjoy the same liberties and freedoms as Jews and are subject to violence, intimidation, official discrimination and harassment. It's a bit like saying blacks in America have the same rights and liberties as white people. On paper yes, in reality never. But in Israel it is backed by an official system of separation.
...I imagine I could visit Russia or China or many other states and have a similarly positive impression. Arabs do not enjoy the same liberties and freedoms as Jews and are subject to violence, intimidation, official discrimination and harassment. It's a bit like saying blacks in America have the same rights and liberties as white people. On paper yes, in reality never. But in Israel it is backed by an official system of separation.
Important also to understand is that Israel is not a normal democracy but a highly militarized security state, where the military controls and governs large areas of civilian life and the economy, ostensibly in the name of "security" but it goes far beyond that. The military is sown into the fabric of Israeli life in a way that is not compatible with a full liberal democratic society.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde15/5141/2022/en/
That proves democracy is an evil system instead of good one. 51% of the population supporting grave abuses and government power does not make it any less worse than a dictator making the same choices. Unless all who wish to be independent and have their own system are allowed to do so, democracy is no different than slavery. Whether it’s Palestinians or Christian freedom supporters in the West who support free speech, property rights, and...
That proves democracy is an evil system instead of good one. 51% of the population supporting grave abuses and government power does not make it any less worse than a dictator making the same choices. Unless all who wish to be independent and have their own system are allowed to do so, democracy is no different than slavery. Whether it’s Palestinians or Christian freedom supporters in the West who support free speech, property rights, and economic freedom, democracy only results is enslavement.
Made me chuckle. I don’t think onemileatatime is the place to argue with Zionists but if you are going to do it this is the way to do it.
Good luck with that, I doubt the airline of the genocidal entity will exist soon.
Or fly to anywhere that will let them land.
If there's anyone who needs a culling, it's the Palestinians. They danced in the streets on 9/11, so they don't deserve any sympathy.
@ORD_Is_My_Second_Home
You're saying as if Israelis didn't throw a party on Palestinian genocides.
Please indicate proof of one so called "party." You can't point to any, Israelis are not sick monsters that celebrate the deaths of people who want to kill them.
I'd say the videos of IDF soldiers having raves while in uniform in between attacks on Gaza might count as a "party".
Maybe if Israel stopped occupying the Palestinians, the Palestinians wouldn't have issues with them?
Also can anyone provide any proof of any credible evidence showing Palestinians celebrating 9/11?
I find it necessary to reiterate my comment that some who post here are displaying gross ignorance of the history of the Middle East. Furthermore, using the news article about EL AL, the national air carrier of Israel, to vent their spleen against Israel is diabolical.
Weird, because every Israeli I happen to meet seems to immediately turn the conversation to how all or most Palestinians (Not just Hamas) deserve death
Hamas has over 70% popularity in gaza compared to only 50% that the nazis had in germany yet no one in the history ever questioned the bombing of german cities
Even those who hate Israel ought to have enough sense to realize that the country is strong enough to stick around for a long time.