New 737's for SN?

[HighInTheSky]

The last few weeks I've heard several times the same rumor, I repeat: RUMOR! That Brussels Airlines would have ordered 13 factory new 737's... Is there anyone to confirm or deny this?

I've just had a look at Boeing's orders and deliveries list, and there is 1 unidentified order of 13 737's....

http://active.boeing.com/commercial/orders/index.cfm

I must say that I'm a bit sceptical, but you never know...

I also noticed that Brussels Airlines is in the list of operators when you try to look for specific info, didn't see that before (but I don't check the Boeing site every week)

[Conti764]

Seems hard to believe...

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/prices/

Here you can see the average price for the 737 (among others). I expect SN to go after the 737-800 for two obvious reasons, being that they would have to replace the 10 current -300's and -400's and they want to reintroduce C-class. To have roughly the same capacity in their 2-class NG's as in their one class (and high density since previously owned by a low cost carrier) classics the 737-800 seems the only one really suited to replace those classics. At the lowest price (70,5M dollar) it means an investment of 705M dollar, or approximately 545M euro, a little too much for SN, I'm afraid.

Unless the 737 backlog is so big, delivery could be some years away and LH would participate in the buy, but then again, a deposit has to be made and the take-over is still not approved by the EU. I don't know if SN would take such a risk...

If it is true, do the Airbuses stay in the fleet? And is this an indication SN will go for Boeing short and medium haul and Airbus for long haul or are they just mixing up their fleet and don't really care which manufacturer is delivering for any sector?

[Gate-A1]

Actually the fact that Brussels Airlines is in the list of companies is due to the purchase of 2 737-300 and 2 737-400 by Virgin Express/EBA in 1996 and 1997.

http://active.boeing.com/commercial/ord ... out=100000

If you look for Virgin Express in the list you won't see it anymore. Actually the company was renamed Brussels Airlines Fly in 2007.

[HighInTheSky]

At the lowest price (70,5M dollar) it means an investment of 705M dollar, or approximately 545M euro, a little too much for SN, I'm afraid.

I fully agree with you! But IF this is true, I guess they'll lease them, no?
And will the 738 not be a bit to big?

Actually the fact that Brussels Airlines is in the list of companies is due to the purchase of 2 737-300 and 2 737-400 by Virgin Express/EBA in 1996 and 1997.

http://active.boeing.com/commercial/ord ... out=100000

If you look for Virgin Express in the list you won't see it anymore. Actually the company was renamed Brussels Airlines Fly in 2007.

This sounds logical... But as I said, I don't check the site often

[Conti764]

And will the 738 not be a bit to big?

Not if they want to have a true C-class and don't lose capacity to the current 737 classics.

[HighInTheSky]

And will the 738 not be a bit to big?

Not if they want to have a true C-class and don't lose capacity to the current 737 classics.

Even with convertible seats as in the A319?

[BrightCedars]

Didn't a LatAm carrier just recently place an order for a similar number of 737's? Has that order since been allocated to the carrier?

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see SN order new, and why not from Boeing. But I think it's a little premature just yet as the process is still ongoing with LH, and I'm a bit skeptic about the Boeing part given LH group's much larger Airbus A320 family commitments. I think although B737-800's might seem a bit large at first sight, the smaller siblings will prove too small to turn a profit if oil goes back up - which it will. And as said before the B737-800 would allow SN to offer a true Business Class product alongside the existing products if that's a path they are choosing to go down.

[euroflyer]

Would be very nice, BUT I cannot imagine any airline which will very likely be taken over very soon by another, much bigger company would place such an order ... Using the joint market power when purchasing aircraft is certainly one of the main advantages of a big group like LH, so it would be really stupid now to act independent. Another possibility could be that this step is already somewhat agreed with LH behind the scenes, but than it would be indeed surprising to see a Boeing order. LH itself only operates the very old (!) -300 and -500 versions and as far as I am aware there are no 737s at SWISS, Austrian and bmi. So regarding maintenance etcetera it would be more than stupid to go for 13 new 737NGs just for BruAir ?! The BruAir fleet is rather small compared to the overall fleet of the LH Group so I guess BruAir will have to go in the future with the same types of aircraft which will be used at other companies in the LH Group as well.
On the Business class issue I do not think for the short haul aircrafts there will be "real" business seats or bigger seat pitches. Have not seen this for years (except for Malev) in Europe. Only the few planes which are used for medium haul flights (Moscow, middle east, etcetera) sometimes have real business class. For the rest just convertible seats are used or the middle seat is just left empty ... So no need to buy bigger aircrafts just because of reintroducing the business class. And if you have been onboard a LH Avro you know LH certainly does not care too much about space being available to the pax on short haul flights

[BrightCedars]

Hello euroflyer, for your information OS do have a series of B737 aircraft of the NG type (I think they may even have -600, -700 and -800) inherited from NG (Lauda Air), that is unless they got rid of them. It's not the case yet according to airfleets.net but they have been cutting on them as there iare only 1 -600 and 1 -700 left.

BD (bmi) on its side still has 20 Classic B737s but they have all been transferred to bmibaby, I don't know what we can make of that.

I certainly agree that in the framework on the LH takeover, grouped orders make more sense. And that the B737 currently seems as the least likely option. But we never know, SN is in need of a streamlined and more efficient (for some) narrow-body fleet, maybe faster than LH needs to retire its B737's. Time will tell.

[HighInTheSky]

I agree with all you guys said. That's why I wanted other opinions as well. I guess this will be another hoax story
By the way: today is the day the EU will approve (or refuse) the takeover, correct?

Fingers crossed

[BrightCedars]

By the way: today is the day the EU will approve (or refuse) the takeover, correct?

Fingers crossed

It's a bit off topic, but hadn't that been delayed by a couple weeks?

[airbuske]

The European Commission has postponed their decision about Lufthansa buying Brussels Airlines till 26 January 2009. So decision is expected very soon

[euroflyer]

But we never know, SN is in need of a streamlined and more efficient (for some) narrow-body fleet, maybe faster than LH needs to retire its B737's. Time will tell.

Honestly, without being able to check, as I am traveling right now, I am quite sure a number of the LH 737s are older than those of Brussels Airlines ...

[airbuske]

Honestly, without being able to check, as I am traveling right now, I am quite sure a number of the LH 737s are older than those of Brussels Airlines ...

Could be correct. I checked the average age of the fleet B737
for LH its 18 years and for SN 14 years.