US aviation giant Boeing on Tuesday said it had finalized a firm order from Japan Airlines for 17 737 MAX 8 aircraft, almost doubling the airline’s overall orders of the plane.

“The 737 has been the backbone of our single-aisle fleet for nearly 50 years, and we are honored to continue its legacy as part of our future fleet,” said Japan Airlines president Mitsuko Tottori, according to a statement published by Boeing.

The 17 new planes come on top of 21 737 MAX 8 aircraft which Japan Airlines ordered in March 2023. The value of the new order was not specified.

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The model, which entered service in May 2017, consumes less fuel and emits 15 percent fewer greenhouse gases than the 737-800 it replaced, Boeing said.

In March 2024, Japan Airlines announced an order for ten Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners as part of a larger purchase which also including 32 aircraft manufactured by Boeing’s European competitor Airbus.

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In total, the airline is now expecting delivery of 48 aircraft from Boeing, and 39 from Airbus, it said in a statement last week.

At the end of February, Boeing’s order book contained 6,197 aircraft, including 4,270 orders for the 737 MAX.
Boeing’s shares were up 0.9 percent at around 3:00pm local time in New York (1900 GMT).