Belarus’s Belavia to retire B737 Classics by YE21

The new General Director of Belavia (B2, Minsk National), Igor Nikolaevich Cherginets, has pledged to retire all of its remaining B737 Classics through the end of 2021. In a press release announcing the stepping down of Anatoly Nikolaevich Gusarov and the appointment of Cherginets, the Belarus flag carrier underlined that its fleet renewal strategy would not change. “We are planning to update the fleet with the aircraft of the latest generation Embraer E195-E2s, and at present, we are preparing to purchase the updated B737-8. By the end of the current year, we plan to terminate the operation of the B737 Classic. Undoubtedly, the modernisation of the fleet will contribute to the expansion of the route network, the opening of new destinations, and an increase in passenger traffic,” Cherginets said. According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, Belavia currently operates three B737-300s and two B737-500s. The quintet is 24.9 years old on average. Belavia owns one B737-300 and leases the remaining four B737 Classics. Despite very low levels of utilisation, all three B737-300s and one -500 are currently active, while the other -500 has been stored at Minsk National since December 3, 2020, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. Belavia has been operating B737-500s since 2003 and -300s since 2008, the ch-aviation fleets history module shows. It reached a peak of nine -300s and six -500s in 2014 and has since been gradually reducing the number of B737 Classics in favour of newer B737-800s and E195s. It currently operates nine B737-800s (as well as a single B737-800(BBJ) on behalf of the government), five E175s and seven E195s. In late 2020, it took its first E195-E2. The airline has a further two E195-E2s allocated from AerCap’s order book and four B737-8 due from Air Lease Corporation. In 2018, it signed a commitment to lease a total of four B737-8s from this lessor.