Israeli flag-carrier El Al has reached a lease agreement with Irish-based AerCap covering a pair of Boeing 787-9s.
The aircraft will be delivered to the airline in the second quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026. The carrier says the lease period is 15 years.
El Al’s lease follows its disclosure that it was looking to expand its 787 fleet.
The airline is already preparing to take the final 787 from its original order batch of 16, and has also agreed to take another 787 originally due for delivery to another customer.
But El Al has been setting out further fleet-modernisation plans and is aiming to take five more long-haul aircraft by 2028.
The AerCap agreement will take the El Al fleet of 787s to 19.
“In order to meet our business goals, set in the strategic plan, we are required to adjust our acquisition plan,” says El Al chief Dina Ben Tal Ganancia.
“These aircraft enable us to expand our route network and add more attractive destinations for our customers.”
