CDB Aviation has delivered the first of four Boeing 737-8 aircraft to Norwegian Air Shuttle, marking the Dublin-based lessor's first aircraft placed with the Norwegian carrier. The delivery stems from lease agreements executed between the two companies in December 2024 and supports Norwegian's ongoing fleet modernisation.

CDB Aviation is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Ltd (HKEX: 1606), itself majority owned by China Development Bank. As of the end of 2025, CDB Aviation held 507 owned and committed aircraft, with 13.2 billion dollars (11.3 billion euros) in owned aircraft leasing assets by net book value, serving 87 lessees across 44 countries and regions.

Norwegian Air Shuttle is headquartered in Fornebu, Norway, and listed on the Oslo Bors (ticker: NAS). For full-year 2025, the group, which includes Norwegian and regional carrier Wideroe, reported revenue of around 37.6 billion Norwegian kroner (3.16 billion euros) and combined EBIT of approximately 3 billion kroner (252 million euros).

The four Boeing 737-8 aircraft form part of the lease agreements signed in December 2024 and are intended to support Norwegian's transition to a more modern, fuel-efficient narrowbody fleet.

"We are pleased to deliver our first 737-8 on lease to Norwegian, which will support the airline's growing modern, fuel-efficient fleet. These aircraft further advance Norwegian's fleet modernization efforts, focused on enhancing the carrier's operational efficiency, environmental performance, and financial flexibility," said Gavan Daly, head of commercial EMEA at CDB Aviation.

"We are pleased to mark the delivery of our first Boeing 737-8 with CDB Aviation. This represents another important step forward in our ongoing fleet renewal. We highly value our new partnership with CDB Aviation as we continue to strengthen Norwegian for the future," said Geir Karlsen, chief executive of Norwegian.

"Enabling our airline customers, like Norwegian, to achieve their sustainability goals is a core element of our platform's strategy to maximize our influence to drive meaningful progress on enhanced sustainability within the industry," Daly said.

For the sector, the delivery adds to a wave of narrowbody fleet renewal among European carriers as lessors compete to support airlines' efficiency and emissions targets.

Source: BusinessWire / CDB Aviation / UK Investing.com