Alaska Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, with seven more to join its fleet this year. The US carrier operates Max 9s in its fleet today and, in March 2022, modified a previous order for the model to include the 737-8 and in-development -10. Alaska's backlog includes firm orders for 80 Max jets and options and purchase rights for another 105, it says. The next four Max 8s are scheduled for delivery in March. Alaska says it is on track to add 15-25 new Boeing jets each year from through 2027, noting that the first Max 10 is due to join its fleet in 2025. To keep its 737-800s up to date, the carrier is investing $130 million in cabin refurbishment programme scheduled to begin in late 2024 and run through 2026. Regional subsidiary Horizon Air, for its part, will add nine Embraer 175s over the next three years, bringing its total to 50 E-Jets. "The addition of the Max 8 and eventually the Max 10 to our fleet creates new opportunities for us to fly longer nonstop routes and maximise our revenue potential," states Alaska senior vice-president of fleet, finance and alliances Nat Pieper.

China Eastern has received its fourth Comac C919 (B-919E, MSN 00010) in a sign that the Chinese airframer is increasing its pace of delivery. According to the carrier, the aircraft took off from Shanghai Pudong International airport on 2 January at 9:44 (local time) and arrived at Shanghai Hongqiao International airport at 10:02. The delivery comes less than a month after China Eastern received its third C919 in December. The carrier received its first C919 in December 2022, which entered commercial service on 28 May flying between Shanghai and Chengdu, and received its second example in July 2023. Since its first commercial C919 flight to the end of last year, the carrier says the fleet has flown 655 commercial flights, carrying nearly 82,000 passengers. The carrier ordered an additional 100 C919s in September. Prior to the latest delivery, the carrier had five units scheduled for delivery in 2024.

Austrian Airlines has received its fifth Airbus A320neo from the airframer. The wholly owned Lufthansa subsidiary says the single-aisle (OE-LZR) was delivered from Airbus's assembly line in Toulouse on 29 December and will operate in a neutral white livery until it will be painted in Austrian's colour scheme in spring. Fleets data shows the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-powered twinjet was the final A320neo-family jet Austrian had on order. Its previous four A320neos were added to the fleet between August 2022 and July 2023. Austrian has 40 A320-family jets, six Boeing 777-200ERs, three 767-300ERs and 17 Embraer 195s. The 777s and 767s are scheduled to be replaced by 787-9s between 2024 and 2028. "In the coming years, Austrian Airlines will modernise its short- and medium-haul fleet as well as its long-haul fleet," states operating chief Francesco Sciortino. "In addition to the use of sustainable fuels, the use of modern and fuel-efficient aircraft is the greatest lever for achieving our ambitious climate targets," he says.