Ukraine’s UIA Receives Brand-New Boeing 737-800

Photo: Andrew W. Sieber

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Ukraine International Airlines (UIA), the country’s flag carrier, has taken delivery of another single-aisle Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The airframe, registration code UR-PSW, was ferried directly from the manufacturing plant in Seattle.

The airliner seats 186 passengers in a two-class cabin layout. It is the 39th airframe in the company’s fleet. The aircraft is to begin revenue services later this month.

Earlier in 2017, UIA received a pre-owned Boeing 737-800 (UR-PSV). The carrier says it expects to take delivery of three more -800s in 2017. This indicates a new adjustment to the airline’s fleet expansion plans: it initially aimed to receive nine aircraft this year, then reduced the number to six.

Two pre-owned Boeings are to be delivered in April. Another factory new -800 delivery (to be registered as UR-PSZ) is expected in November, in time for UIA’s 25 years of operation. In parallel, the carrier is planning to phase out two of its Boeing 737-500s.

The new delivery brings the average UIA fleet age from 12.5 years as of early 2017 to 12.1 years.

Of the nine airliner delivered in 2016, only one Boeing 737-800 is brand-new. The average age of the 2016 deliveries stands at 10 years; that of the airframes to be received throughout 2017 will not exceed six years.

Apart from 23 Boeing 737NG aircraft, whose average age stands at 8.9 years, UIA also operates 737 Classics, Boeing 767s, and Embraer E190s. A total of 11 airliners in the carrier’s fleet, including the latest delivery, were received straight from the factory. These include one 737-300 (received in 1999), four 737-800s (2009 and 2010), two 737-900ERs (2013), and two E190s (2013).

Source: rusaviainsider.com