Air Canada to lease eight Boeing 737 MAX 8s from BOC Aviation

Micheal Rousseau, President and Chief Executive Officer of Air Canada, commented on the move: "We look forward to these aircraft entering into service next year upon the completion of some required modifications. These eight brand-new, fuel- and cost-efficient 737-8s will provide more fleet flexibility and additional capacity while supporting one of our sustainability goals of mitigating emissions.”

There has yet to be any indication of how much Air Canada spent purchasing and reconfiguring these aircraft. Simple Flying has contacted the airline to find out more.

The planes were previously owned by Lynx Air, which shut down this year. As a result, the planes can be delivered to Air Canada rather quickly. The airline will use these fuel-efficient narrowbody aircraft to strengthen its short-haul network and meet emissions standards as the country attempts to move towards net-zero carbon emissions in the future.

Aircraft leasing is a significant business with many major players, including BOC Aviation. The company has contracts with 93 airlines across 47 countries and regions. Now, Canada’s flag carrier joins this list.

Steven Townend, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of BOC Aviation, stated: “We are pleased that Canada’s flag carrier, Air Canada, is working with us once again as it strengthens its network. Continued growth in passenger travel is stimulating demand for aircraft, which we have been able to address for Air Canada in this transaction with eight aircraft delivering from our 100% latest technology order book.”

According to Ch Aviation, BOC Aviation has a fleet of 413 aircraft and is awaiting orders for another 184 planes which include 71 Boeing 737 MAX 8 models.

BOC Aviation was founded as Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise Pte. Ltd. (SALE) in 1993 by Singapore Airlines and Boullion Aviation Services, a US-based aircraft operating leasing company. It was rebranded as BOC Aviation in 2007.

As aircraft age, many airlines retrofit newer parts to keep them operating effectively and sometimes improve performance. For example, airlines often retrofit winglets on older aircraft to improve range and reduce fuel consumption.

Aerotime Hub reported that Air Canada announced in April that its Airbus A320 family of aircraft would undergo a “major cockpit and avionics system upgrade package” as part of fleet modernization efforts. The multi-year program will see up to 76 aircraft gain new functionality including Enhanced Electronic Instrument Systems (EEIS2), Heads-up Displays (HUD), among others.

The equipment will also feature new higher-resolution screens in the cockpit aimed at reducing pilot fatigue and eye strain.