Established airlines around the world debuted aircraft types and variants in their fleets during 2021, despite the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. We look back at some of the highlights, from nimble narrowbodies through to heavyweight widebodies.
Nigerian carrier Air Peace took delivery of its first E195-E2 in January at Embraer’s Sao Jose dos Campos facility, with the aircraft eventually making its first commercial flight in July
Source: Embraer
Alaska Airlines took delivery of its first Boeing 737 Max 9 in January
Source: Sam Almo-Milkin/Creative Commons
UK operator Titan Airways took delivery of its first Airbus A321 converted freighter in January
Source: ST Engineering/EFW
African carrier Air Cote d'Ivoire took delivery of its first Airbus A320neo in February
Source: Airbus
Russian carrier S7 Airlines took delivery of the first of a pair of Boeing 737-800 converted freighters in February
Source: S7
KLM took delivery of its first Embraer 195-E2 jet for its Cityhopper subsidiary in February
Source: KLM Cityhopper
French leisure carrier Corsair took delivery of its first Airbus A330-900 on lease from Avolon in late March, becoming the first operator to receive the higher-weight version of the widebody
Source: Airbus
Romanian operator Blue Air started taking delivery of Boeing 737 Max 8 jets in late March, with the first of a batch introduced from US lessor Air Lease
Source: Blue Air
Belarusian flag-carrier Belavia took delivery of its first Boeing 737 Max 8 in April
Source: Belavia
Kyrgyzstan’s Air Manas took delivery of its first Airbus A220-300 in April
Source: Air Manas
Egyptian carrier Air Cairo took delivery of its first Airbus A320neo in late April
Source: AIrbus
JetBlue took delivery of its first A321LR in late April
Source: JetBlue Airways
Aeroflot took delivery of its first Airbus A320neo in May. It later received its first A321neo
Source: Aeroflot
Spanish carrier World2Fly took delivery of its first Airbus A350-900 in early June
Source: Airbus
Swiss carrier Helvetic Airways took delivery of its first E195-E2 in June
Source: Embraer
Ryanair took delivery of its first Boeing 737 Max 8-200 in mid-June. It is pictured in service, later in the year
Source: Steve Knight/Creative Commons
Greek carrier Sky Express took delivery of its first ATR 72-600 in late June
Source: ATR
Chilean low-cost carrier Sky Airline took delivery of its first Airbus A321neo in late July
Source: Airbus
French island territory Reunion’s operator Air Austral took delivery of its first A220-300 in late July
Source: Airbus
Cathay Pacific put its first two Airbus A321neos into service in August
Source: Cathay Pacific
Omani low-cost carrier SalamAir introduced its first Airbus A321neo in September
Source: SalamAir
Air France took delivery of its first of 60 Airbus A220-300 jets in late September
Source: Air France
Air Belgium took delivery of its first Airbus A330-900 in October
Source: Airbus
Pakistani carrier Airblue took delivery of its first A321neo in October
Source: GECAS
Breeze Airways unveiled its first Airbus A220-300 in late October
Source: Breeze Airways
Taiwan-based China Airlines took delivery of its first Airbus A321neo in late November
Source: Airbus
Cebu Pacific took delivery of its first Airbus A330neo in late November
Source: Airbus
Japanese low-cost carrier Peach Aviation took delivery of its first Airbus A321LR in December
Source: Airbus
French Bee received its first Airbus A350-1000 in mid-December
Source: Airbus
Vietnam low-cost carrier Vietjet took delivery of its first widebody aircraft, a leased Airbus A330-300, in late December
Vietnam low-cost carrier Vietjet Air has signalled that it will receive Boeing 737 Max aircraft from 2024 to 2028, having recently reaffirmed orders for 200 examples.
Canadian leisure carrier Air Transat maintains that it will not be immediately impacted by Pratt & Whintey’s recall of PW1100G geared turbofan engines, which power the airline’s fleet of Airbus A321LRs.
Trouble with Pratt & Whitney PW1100G turbofans and broader aerospace industry supply chain problems might drive up fares and will delay at least some carriers’ carbon-reduction plans.
