Aircraft Lessor SMBC Aviation Capital Places 2026 Order for 100 Airbus A320neo

Ireland – Dublin-headquartered aircraft lessor and aviation finance platform SMBC Aviation Capital has placed a firm order with Airbus for 65 A321neo and 35 A320neo aircraft.

• The agreement was finalised at the Farnborough International Airshow on 20 July 2026.
• SMBC Aviation Capital said the transaction will provide airline customers with a continuous delivery pipeline of A320neo-family aircraft into the mid-2030s.
• The Airbus transaction formed part of a wider package of 200 firm aircraft orders announced by SMBC Aviation Capital at Farnborough. The company also ordered 60 Boeing 737-10s and 40 737-8s.
• SMBC Aviation Capital separately signed an agreement with CFM International covering up to 90 LEAP-1A engines for existing A320neo-family orders, comprising 70 firm engine orders and purchase rights for 20 more.
• SMBC Aviation Capital’s current portfolio includes 483 A321neos, comprising 82 owned, 167 serviced and 234 committed aircraft. Its A320neo portfolio totals 344 aircraft, comprising 167 owned, 57 serviced and 120 committed units.
• A previous order for 60 A320neo-family aircraft in November 2023 increased SMBC Aviation Capital’s cumulative firm commitments for the A320neo and A321neo to 184 aircraft and extended its delivery pipeline at that time through 2031.
• Airbus said SMBC Aviation Capital and parent company Sumitomo Corporation now account for more than 900 direct commitments covering Airbus aircraft types. The manufacturer did not provide a current type-by-type breakdown of those combined commitments.
• Airbus reported that the A320 Family had secured more than 20,200 orders globally by the date of the announcement.
• AFM previously reported that SMBC Aviation Capital also ordered 100 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft at Farnborough, increasing its owned, serviced and committed MAX portfolio from 350 to 450 aircraft. The combined Airbus and Boeing orders provide the lessor with additional capacity across both major new-generation narrowbody families.

Statements

• “This significant new order will give our airline customers access to a continuous delivery pipeline of the latest technology A320neo family aircraft into the mid-2030s,” said Peter Barrett, Chief Executive Officer at SMBC Aviation Capital.
• “SMBC Aviation Capital’s investment reflects the global market appetite for the A320neo Family for the years to come as customers select the latest generation and most efficient aircraft to grow and renew fleets,” said Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Executive Vice President Sales of the Commercial Aircraft business at Airbus.

Source: Airbus