Eurowings, a member of the Lufthansa Group, has announced an order for 40 new Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft, signaling one of the largest fleet modernizations in European aviation. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2027 and will be completed with a total of 40 jets by 2032. 

The new aircraft will gradually replace the Airbus A319 fleet, as well as older Airbus A320 models. The 737-8 Max has a capacity of 189 passengers, some 39 additional seats compared to Eurowings’ A319. The aircraft also has significantly longer range making it better suited for medium-haul point-to-point services that are increasingly offered on the carrier’s schedule.

The investment, valued at a list price of $5 billion, gives the German low-cost carrier a state-of-the-art fleet that offer up to 30 percent lower fuel consumption and correspondingly less CO2 emissions.

“With 40 state-of-the-art aircraft, we are laying the foundation for a successful Eurowings future that is geared towards ambitious sustainability goals,” Jens Bischof, CEO of Eurowings, said. “The largest investment in our company’s history shows that we are making rapid progress towards low-emission flying – through significantly lower fuel consumption, lower emissions and significantly less noise.”