Skymark Airlines announces intent to select 737 MAX as next general single-aisle aircraft

Skymark Airlines and Boeing announced (17-Jun-2013) the airline's intention to select the Boeing 737 MAX as its next generation single aisle aircraft, making it Japan's first airline to do so. The announcement came on the first day of the 2013 Paris Air Show. Boeing will work closely with Skymark to finalise a firm order in the coming months. Skymark Airlines president and CEO Shinichi Nishikubo stated: "We are delighted to deepen our partnership with Boeing and work together on the renewal of our single-aisle fleet. The Next-Generation 737 has been a key driver of our successful growth, and we are sure that the 737 MAX will provide us with even greater efficiency and competitive edge as we move into the next stage of expansion." Based at Tokyo Haneda Airport, Skymark Airlines currently operates a fleet of 30 737-800s on lease from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) and other lessors. [more - original PR]