en.Wedoany.com Reported - Japan's Skymark Airlines has agreed to lease seven Boeing 737-10 aircraft from Aviation Capital Group (ACG) for fleet renewal and capacity expansion, in response to slot constraints at Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND).

The lease agreement was announced on July 20, the opening day of the Farnborough Airshow. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery from ACG's order book in 2028. This transaction is based on Skymark's existing commitment to the largest variant of the 737 MAX. The airline has confirmed an order for seven 737-10s from Boeing, while also signing orders and lease agreements for seven 737-8s.

The larger-capacity aircraft will help Skymark add seats on key domestic routes from Haneda, where limited slot availability restricts the possibility of increasing flight frequencies. Thomas Baker, President and CEO of ACG, stated on July 20 that for airlines serving high-density markets from slot-constrained airports, increasing capacity, improving efficiency, and maximizing revenue opportunities are crucial. He noted that the 737-10, as the largest model in the 737 MAX family, offers high-capacity configurations and significant operational flexibility, suitable for Skymark's needs and growth ambitions.

Data from OAG flight schedule analysis shows that in the 2026 summer season, Skymark Airlines offers approximately 6.03 million seats on its domestic route network, a slight increase of 0.4% year-on-year. The airline operates on 24 airport pairs and is the third-largest domestic airline in Japan by capacity, accounting for about 7.5% of scheduled seat capacity, trailing only All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines. Haneda Airport accounts for approximately 2.84 million two-way seats, or 47% of Skymark's total capacity. Its largest route is Haneda-Fukuoka, with about 893,500 seats in summer 2026, followed by Haneda-Sapporo New Chitose, with about 672,600 seats. Haneda-Kobe and Haneda-Okinawa Naha each have about 451,000 seats.

Skymark Airlines President and Representative Director Yoshihiro Miwa expressed anticipation for operating the 737-10, which offers the largest capacity in the MAX series, and welcomed more passengers to enjoy the Skymark experience. According to the CAPA fleet database, Skymark Airlines, celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026, currently operates 29 737-800s and 2 737-8s. The airline became the first in Japan to introduce the 737-8 in May, initially deploying the aircraft on the Haneda to Fukuoka route.

The 737-10 has yet to receive regulatory certification after multiple delays. However, as of July 8, certification test flights for the 737-10 were 98% complete.