Brazilian low-cost carrier Gol marked a significant milestone on December 10 with the delivery of its 50th Boeing 737 MAX, bearing the symbolic registration PS-GOL. The airline, which has exclusively operated the Boeing 737 model for nearly its entire history, now has 134 aircraft in its fleet, including 72 737-800s and 12 737-700s.
Despite this achievement, Gol’s plans for expanding its fleet of 737 MAX 8s have faced delays. The airline had initially expected to receive 53 of these jets by this point, but repeated production and delivery issues at Boeing have hindered progress. In 2023, only 44 737 MAX aircraft were delivered, falling nine units short of the airline’s target. The situation continued into 2024, with only six 737 MAX 8s delivered so far, well behind the fleet of older, less efficient 737 NG aircraft.
Gol, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S., had to renegotiate its leasing contracts for its planes, further complicating its fleet expansion. The airline’s plan to emerge from Chapter 11 includes a focus on optimizing its operations with the 737 MAX family, which began with its first delivery in 2018. That year, Gol placed an order for 45 aircraft, including the 737 MAX 10 variant, with plans to have 135 MAX jets by 2028, replacing its existing 737 NGs.
However, the grounding of the 737 MAX in March 2019 and the subsequent impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gol’s finances disrupted these plans. While the airline received six 737 MAXs in 2018, only one was delivered in 2019 due to the global grounding. Following the aircraft’s return to service in late 2020, Gol accelerated its fleet renewal, receiving 14 737 MAXs in 2021 and 17 more in 2022. In 2023, the airline received just six.
As Gol moves forward with its Chapter 11 restructuring, the carrier is increasingly relying on the 737 MAX to streamline operations and improve efficiency.
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