Lessor BOC Aviation orders 70 A320neo and 50 737 MAX 8
BOC Aviation, one of the world’s largest commercial aircraft lessors, announced two new acquisition agreements for narrow-body aircraft totaling 120 jets.
With Airbus, the company has ordered 70 aircraft from the A320neo family, which will be delivered starting in 2032. The variant may be defined over time, according to BOC.
“This transaction will lift our remaining Airbus orderbook to around 200 aircraft and takes our total Airbus aircraft deliveries to over 700 since our first order in 1996,” said Steven Townend, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, BOC Aviation.
Boeing, in turn, has received an order for 50 737 MAX 8s to be delivered from 2031. Like Airbus, the US planemaker has left open the possibility of converting the orders to other variants such as the MAX 7, MAX 9 or MAX 10.
“Our strong partnership with Boeing has led to this 50-aircraft order for the fuel-efficient Boeing 737-8 aircraft. With this transaction, we have commitments to purchase over 140 of these aircraft, which is the largest Boeing orderbook position in our history,” added Townend.
Production slots increasingly distant
The level of orders for commercial aircraft, especially the 737 MAX and the A320neo, has reached very high levels due to a combination of factors.
On the one hand, airlines have been looking for more efficient aircraft to reduce fuel consumption, but manufacturers have not been able to increase the production rate, resulting in huge queues.
Add to this the quality and safety issues facing Boeing and the picture is worrying. To stay ahead of demand, lessors and some carriers are reserving slots for distant dates, making it difficult for other companies to plan.
Airbus wants to produce 75 A320neos per month while Boeing is aiming for 46 737 MAXs, but so far the effort to meet these targets has not been successful.
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Ricardo Meier
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