Norwegian Calls First Boeing “797” Delivery
Joe Cortez July 03, 2017
Low-cost carrier sits among five airlines expressing interest in the new aircraft.
Despite the fact Boeing’s newest aircraft will not be delivered for nearly a decade, airlines are lining up to be the first to fly what is being called the “797.” CNN reports three American and two international carriers, including Norwegian Air Shuttle, have all expressed interest in adding the new creation to their fleets.
The newest airframe from the Chicago-based manufacturer was announced during the 2017 Paris Air Show. Considered a “middle market aircraft,” the dual-aisle airliner is projected to seat between 220 and 270 passengers. The officially unnamed airframe is expected to fill the gap between the 737-MAX family and the 787 Dreamliner, similar to the markets served by the retired 757 aircraft.
Since the announcement, Norwegian Air has come out to publicly announce their interest in being the first to fly the “797” aircraft. After taking their first delivery of the 737 MAX-8 on Thursday, June 29, airline chief executive Bjørn Kjos told CNN they “definitely want to be first in line.”
The discount carrier could have some competition to become the first to fly with the new airframe for Boeing since the Dreamliner. Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have all announced their intention of bringing the new aircraft to their fleets, along with Indian carrier SpiceJet. While the carriers anticipate that orders will begin in 2018, Boeing has not announced who they would favor in a race to become the launch customer.
While details of the new aircraft have not been announced, aviation insiders expect the aircraft to be constructed out of composite materials, similar to the Dreamliner and the Airbus A350. For carriers like Norwegian, the higher capacity, potentially composite aircraft could add service to new markets at a lower entry cost.
