El Al Airlines is in negotiations to add more than a dozen Dreamliner aircraft to its Boeing fleet, the company has announced.
El Al Chief Executive Officer David Maimon said in a statement, “I am proud to announce today (Aug. 6) the largest procurement program in El Al’s history.
“El Al’s board today authorized the company to hold talks with Boeing over the acquisition of wide-body Dreamliner aircraft for the purchase and lease of 15 planes in the next five years. This move is expected to be a significant leap forward in optimizing routes, passenger service and flight experience.”
Delivery of the new fuel-efficient 787-8 and 787-9 Dreamliners – an $800-$900 million order – would start in the first half of 2017 and continue through 2020, Maimon said.
Talks are expected to wrap up in the next few weeks, with the final price dependent on the final number aircraft. They will be used to replace the airline’s current aging planes on its medium and long-haul routes, including those to and from North American and Asia.
El Al also has the option to purchase 13 other aircraft from Boeing as well but did not offer details about that potential deal. The company has recently been acquiring other short-haul 737-900 aircraft to replace its aging line.