SMBC Orders 100 Boeing 737 Max To Open Farnborough

Boeing opened the Farnborough International Airshow with an order from SMBC Aviation Capital for one hundred 737 Max airplanes, including 60 for the Max 10 variant and 40 of the Max 8 single-aisles. The order marks the aviation financier’s first for the Max 10, the highest-capacity variant of the Max family at 230 seats.

Overall, the deal brings SMBC Aviation Capital’s fleet of owned, managed, and committed Boeing Max airliners to 450. It represents a potential value upwards of $13 billion, based on publicly available list prices.

“This transaction represents a significant milestone for SMBC Aviation Capital and will ensure our airline customers have access to a long-term pipeline of new-technology aircraft,” said SMBC Aviation Capital CEO Peter Barrett. “Our partnership with Boeing spans over two decades, and this order reflects market dynamics as our airline and investor customers look to upgauge to the 737-10.” He said the order supports the company’s plans for growth into the next decade.

The latest contract comes as global passenger traffic is forecast to grow 4% annually over the next two decades, Boeing noted, adding that lessors have collectively ordered more than one thousand four hundred fifty 737 Max jets, representing 20% of the family’s total backlog.