German budget airline Eurowings will receive Boeing 737 aircraft

German budget airline Eurowings will begin operating Boeing jets in 2027, with the Lufthansa subsidiary announcing on Monday that it would receive a total of 40 737-8 MAX aircraft from the US manufacturer.

The deal is the largest fleet modernization in the German budget airline's history, with the aircraft set to be delivered from 2027.

The airline currently operates a fleet of aircraft exclusively from European aerospace giant Airbus, the key global rival of Boeing.

The new Boeing jets are to gradually replace older Airbus A319 and A320 jets by 2032.

The parent company, German aviation conglomerate Lufthansa, had announced the purchase of the small Boeings with a list price of around $5 billion in December 2023.

But Lufthansa at the time left open which of its subsidiary airlines would actually use the jets.

The Boeing aircraft is also flown by Eurowings' competitors Ryanair and Tuifly.

The 737-8 Max model got off to a difficult start with two serious accidents in 2018 and 2019 in which 346 people lost their lives.

The safety deficiencies were only rectified after production was halted.

According to Eurowings, the new aircraft have a greater range and more seats than the jets they are replacing, and reportedly consume up to 30% less fuel.

The Lufthansa Group last put a Boeing 737 aircraft into service in 1995.