2021 marked two decades since Brazilian low-cost carrier Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes commenced operations. In the 21 years that have now followed, the airline has amassed a considerable fleet, consisting entirely of Boeing 737 family aircraft. But what are the exact variants that it presently flies? Let's take a closer look and find out.
Boeing 737-700
According to data from ch-aviation.com, GOL's fleet presently consists of 146 aircraft. All of these are examples of models from Boeing's popular 737 family. The smallest of these in terms of size and capacity are the airline's 21 examples of the Boeing 737-700. These twinjets have an average age of 18.1 years old, making them the oldest jets in GOL's fleet.
Of these 21 twinjets, ch-aviation lists 14 as presently being active. Each seats 138 passengers in a two-class configuration, consisting of 102 standard economy seats, as well as 36 that offer extra legroom. Historically speaking, GOL has also operated a further 32 Boeing 737-700s. PR-GEU is the most recent arrival, having joined from Aeroméxico in May 2021.
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Boeing 737-800
The Boeing 737-800 is the family's best-selling variant, and, correspondingly, it is also the dominant version when it comes to GOL's present fleet. The Brazilian low-cost carrier currently has 89 of these twinjets at its disposal, accounting for more than 60% of the fleet. Of this figure, data from ch-aviation lists around 75% (67 aircraft) as being active.
According to SeatGuru, GOL's 737-800s have different configurations, depending on if they are used domestically or internationally. The domestic layout has 186 standard economy seats, while international flights feature 20 seats of premium economy (blocked middle seat) and 156 standard economy seats. GOL's 737-800s are 11.8 years old on average.
Interestingly, ch-aviation also notes that GOL is set to receive two more 737-800s, with these twinjets coming in the form of converted freighters. The specific aircraft look set to be ex-GOL airframes, to which the carrier is giving a new lease of life.
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Boeing 737 MAX
GOL's most modern aircraft are its 36 examples of the Boeing 737 MAX 8. These next-generation narrowbodies are just 2.9 years old on average, and 33 of the 36 are presently active. SeatGuru reports that they have the same two seating configurations, as determined by the routes on which GOL uses them. Its first example arrived in June 2018.
Over the years, Boeing's commercial data shows that GOL has made several orders for aircraft in the 737 MAX family. The first of these was also the largest, when the carrier requested 82 of these aircraft back in October 2012.
As such, there are plenty of deliveries still to come, with ch-aviation's data listing 75 MAX 8s as yet to be delivered. Interestingly, the site also reports that GOL has orders for 22 examples of the stretched-fuselage 737 MAX 10.
Fluctuating fleet size intentions
The events of the past couple of years pertaining to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic have prompted various discussions about the size of GOL's fleet. For example, at the start of the global health crisis, it considered using lease expirations to shrink its fleet.
A year later, in April 2021, it re-iterated its plans to shrink its fleet, in response to lower demand levels. However, more recently, it has expressed a desire to be flying 75 737 MAX aircraft by 2025, suggesting that growth in this area would be welcome after all.
What do you make of GOL's all-737 fleet? Have you ever flown with the Brazilian low-cost carrier? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!