EgyptAir is set to receive 18 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, adding more narrowbody jets to the state-owned airline’s fleet, according to people familiar with the matter.

The North African airline will take on the aircraft as part of a leasing agreement with Air Lease Corp, said the people, who asked not to be identified ahead of a possible announcement at the Dubai Air Show.

EgyptAir and Boeing declined to comment.

Taking on the 737 Max, which typically seats about 170 passengers, would tilt EgyptAir’s narrowbody fleet toward Boeing. The carrier’s single-aisle fleet is now fairly evenly split between Boeing and Airbus SE, with just under 30 units of each manufacturer in the airline’s lineup.

The airline will take the aircraft between 2025 and 2026, one of the people said.

--With assistance from Siddharth Philip.

Author: Leen Al-Rashdan