CDB Aviation Delivers First of Four Boeing 737-8 Aircraft to Norwegian
Aircraft Support Airline’s Operational Efficiency & Environmental Performance
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CDB Aviation, a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. (“CDB Leasing”), announced the delivery of the first of four Boeing 737-8 aircraft to Norwegian, signifying the lessor’s first aircraft on lease to the carrier. The four aircraft are part of the lease agreements executed between the companies in December 2024.
“We are pleased to deliver our first 737-8 on lease to Norwegian, which will support the airline’s growing modern, fuel-efficient fleet,” commented Gavan Daly, Head of Commercial EMEA at CDB Aviation. “These aircraft further advance Norwegian’s fleet modernization efforts, focused on enhancing the carrier’s operational efficiency, environmental performance, and financial flexibility.”
“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 Officer 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. Our team remains focused on supporting the efforts of airlines in all markets to renew their fleets with energy-efficient, new-generation aircraft,” concluded Daly.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, beliefs or opinions, including with respect to CDB Aviation’s business, financial condition, results of operations or plans. CDB Aviation cautions readers that no forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future performance and that actual results or other financial condition or performance measures could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate only to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements sometimes use words such as ”may,” “will,” “seek,” “continue,” “aim,” “anticipate,” “target,” “projected,” “expect,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “believe,” “achieve” or other terminology or words of similar meaning. These statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of CDB Aviation’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results and we do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, we do not undertake any obligation to, and will not, update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
About Norwegian
The Norwegian group is a leading Nordic aviation company, headquartered at Fornebu outside Oslo, Norway. The company has over 8,900 employees and owns two of the prominent airlines in the Nordics: Norwegian Air Shuttle and Widerøe’s Flyveselskap. Widerøe was acquired by Norwegian in 2024, aiming to facilitate seamless air travel across the two airline’s networks.
Norwegian Air Shuttle, the largest Norwegian airline with around 5,200 employees, operates an extensive route network connecting Nordic countries to key European destinations. In 2025, Norwegian carried 23 million passengers and maintained a fleet of 95 Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
Widerøe’s Flyveselskap, Norway’s oldest airline, is Scandinavia’s largest regional carrier. The airline has more than 3,700 employees. Mainly operating the short-runway airports in rural Norway, Widerøe operates several state contract routes (PSO routes) in addition to its own commercial network. In 2025, the airline had 4.1 million passengers and a fleet of 51 aircraft, including 48 Bombardier Dash 8s and three Embraer E190-E2s. Widerøe Ground Handling provides ground handling services at 41 Norwegian airports.
The Norwegian group has sustainability as a key priority and has committed to significantly reducing carbon emissions from its operations. Among numerous initiatives, the most noteworthy is the investment in production and use of fossil-free aviation fuel (SAF). Norwegian strives to become the sustainable choice for its passengers, actively contributing to the transformation of the aviation industry. www.norwegian.com
About CDB Aviation
CDB Aviation is a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. (“CDB Leasing”) a 41-year-old Chinese leasing company that is backed mainly by the China Development Bank. CDB Aviation is rated Investment Grade by Moody’s (A2), S&P Global (A), and Fitch (A+). China Development Bank is under the direct jurisdiction of the State Council of China and is one of the world’s largest development finance institutions. It is also the largest Chinese bank for foreign investment and financing cooperation, long-term lending and bond issuance, enjoying Chinese sovereign credit rating.
CDB Leasing is the only leasing arm of the China Development Bank and a leading company in China’s leasing industry that has been engaged in aircraft, infrastructure, ship, commercial vehicle and construction machinery leasing and enjoys a Chinese sovereign credit rating. It took an important step in July 2016 to globalize and marketize its business – listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX STOCK CODE: 1606). www.CDBAviation.aero
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260924529941/en/
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