Lessor Avolon Orders 250 Boeing and Airbus Jets in Massive Fleet Expansion

Aircraft lessor Avolon agreed to order 140 jets from Boeing and 110 from Airbus, marking its largest single purchase from either manufacturer. The transaction comprises 140 Boeing 737 MAX planes, 75 Airbus A320neos, and 35 A330neos, alongside options for 100 additional unspecified Airbus jets. The massive order pushes Avolon's total pending pipeline to 749 aircraft, building on an existing active fleet of 561 planes. Third-party lessors currently own approximately half of the world's airline fleet, capitalizing on persistent aerospace manufacturing backlogs to maintain high rental yields. The new orders remain subject to formal approval by Avolon's majority shareholder, China's Bohai Leasing Co Ltd, which is expected before the end of the month. "We continue to see strong demand for new-technology aircraft, reflected in our placement and trading activity this quarter." — Andy Cronin