El Al orders six more Dreamliners
El Al is expanding its fleet with another order for Boeing Dreamliners.
The airline is exercising options to purchase six Boeing 787-9 aircraft and retains options on six more aircraft. The four aircraft ordered for delivery between 2030 and 2032 will be converted to the larger 787-10 model, which carries more passengers.
List prices for the Boeing 787 range from $290 million for the 787-9 model to $330–340 million for the 787-10, but in practice airlines purchase aircraft at significant discounts. The actual cost per aircraft is typically between $120 million and $200 million, before optimization of the interior and configuration, which can add millions of dollars to the cost.
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El Al currently has seventeen Dreamliners, and in fact, the aircraft represent the backbone of its long-haul operations.
El Al primarily uses the other 47 aircraft in its fleet, including Boeing 737 and 777 models, for short- and medium-haul routes.
The expansion of the Dreamliner fleet will help El Al expand its long-haul services.
El Al’s order comes at a time when the global aviation industry continues to be under pressure. Aircraft manufacturers, prominent among them Boeing and Airbus, are struggling to meet demand for new planes due to supply chain disruptions and production delays, among other things.
