Air India Express To Buy 55 737-8s From Chinese Carriers

Simple Flying reports that Air India is purchasing 55 737-8s that were originally built for airlines in China. These airliners will be delivered to its Air India Express operation. These 737-8s have been in short-term storage at BFI, MWH, VCV, and SKF. Though China has cleared the 737MAX series for operations and the resumption of deliveries, there is also a trade issue between the US and China that causing the delay of deliveries. Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and some smaller airlines are opting to sell their new-builds to Air India.

On a related note, the Hainan Air Group sold off their new-build 737-8s that were sitting in short-term storage, many of them acquired by United Airlines.

Air India Express' VT-AXA

Our August edition of "HNL RareBirds Classic" features Air India Express' [IX/AXB] VT-AXA (c/n 30296, l/n 1674), as it made its delivery flight from BFI in February 2005. Of the 25 737-800s Air India Express received, the first four deliveries to stopped through HNL, while the remainder of the fleet switched to the Atlantic delivery routing. The winglet upstaging VT-AXA belongs to Chang An Airlines' B-5115.

30296 was originally purchased by Boullioun Aviation Services in February 2005, then leased to Air India Express. In April 2010, it was sold to Aircastle, then leased to Anadolu Jet [--/AJA] (Turkey) as TC-JHJ. In September 2013, it was leased to SunExpress [XQ/SXS] (Turkey), but still retained the Anadolu livery, as it operates for the latter, but registered as TC-SBF.