Overview
- SMBC Aviation Capital announced orders at the Farnborough Airshow on Monday, July 20, 2026, committing to 100 Boeing 737 MAX jets and a separate firm order for 100 Airbus A320neo-family aircraft.
- The Boeing purchase covers 60 737-10s and 40 737-8s and marks SMBC’s first 737-10 order, bringing its owned, managed and committed 737 MAX portfolio to 450 aircraft.
- The Airbus deal covers 65 A321neo and 35 A320neo aircraft, and SMBC finalised an agreement for CFM International LEAP-1A engines to power 35 of the A320neos.
- The Boeing order is read as a vote of confidence in the MAX programme as the company continues a measured production ramp that the FAA has approved up to 47 aircraft per month following earlier manufacturing limits.
- By locking in high-capacity narrowbodies, the lessor aims to meet airlines’ upgauging needs, ease long delivery backlogs for carriers, and support fleet renewal and fuel-efficiency goals over the next decade.