Eastar Jet has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft – making it the first airline in Korea to operate the more fuel-efficient and longer-range version of the popular 737 jet.
The low-cost carrier (LCC) will take delivery of another 737 MAX 8 aircraft later this month, which will join the airline’s existing fleet of Next-Generation 737s.
President, Jong-Gu Choi said: “The introduction of the 737 MAX into our fleet reflects the efforts we are making to modernize our product offering and provide a world-class experience to our customers.
“In addition, the superior economics and longer-range capability of the 737 MAX will enable us to expand our network into new and existing markets more efficiently, which will help us achieve long-term growth.”
Based at Gimpo/Incheon International Airport in Seoul, Korea, Eastar Jet launched operations in 2007 with Next-Generation 737s. Since then, Korea’s LCC market has grown significantly and has become the largest LCC market in Northeast Asia. Over the past five years, the market segment has grown more than 30 per cent annually.
Based on this growth and the introduction of the 737 MAX 8 to its fleet, Eastar Jet is looking to expand into new markets such as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur among other future destinations.
