Greater Bay Airlines (HB, Hong Kong International) has announced a firm order for fifteen B737-9s with deliveries scheduled between August 2024 and 2027. The agreement with Boeing also includes a tentative commitment for five B787s to support the airline's future growth plans.
"The B737-9 will allow GBA to open up new routes from Hong Kong with unmatched economics. The new order will bring fantastic growth possibilities to GBA and enable us to strive for excellence in an innovative way for our valued customers," Chairman Wong Cho Bau said.
Greater Bay Airlines currently operates three B737-800s, which are just 5.9 years of age on average, and will look for more until its B737-9s arrive. Once in service, the carrier will be B737 MAX's first operator in Hong Kong.
The airline did not specify whether the B737-9s would eventually replace the -800s. It did not respond to the ch-aviation's request for comment.
Greater Bay Airlines' present-day network is limited to four destinations served out of Hong Kong International: Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Taipei Taoyuan, Tokyo Narita, and Seoul Incheon. However, services to Osaka Kansai are due in April 2023 with Manila Ninoy Aquino International and Ho Chi Minh City to follow.
Its B787 plans, though now verbalised, remain vague and with neither the exact variant nor expected delivery timeline revealed.
Greater Bay Airlines previously announced that it was planning to increase its fleet to 22 aircraft by 2027.
