Overview
- SMBC placed a firm order for 100 737 MAX aircraft on Monday at the Farnborough Airshow, buying 60 737-10s and 40 737-8s and lifting its owned, managed and committed MAX portfolio to 450 jets.
- The order marks SMBC’s first purchase of the 737-10, the MAX family’s highest-capacity variant, and reflects the company’s plan to offer larger single-aisle jets to airline customers looking to upgauge.
- SMBC CEO Peter Barrett said the deal will ensure airlines have access to a long-term pipeline of new-technology aircraft, and Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief Stephanie Pope said the commitment reflects strong demand for the 737 MAX family’s efficiency and reliability.
- Boeing and SMBC highlight the 737-10’s per-seat economics and capacity of up to about 230 seats with a roughly 3,100 nautical mile range as reasons carriers are choosing larger single-aisle types for denser routes.
- The purchase fits a wider industry trend in which lessors have ordered more than 1,450 737 MAX jets and shows how leasing firms are diversifying narrowbody fleets to secure aircraft for airline growth and route changes.