11 November 2026

Avolon Finalises Order for 140 Boeing 737-10 Jets

Avolon has finalised its order for 140 Boeing 737-10 aircraft, a record 737 MAX order by a lessor, taking its backlog to more than 240 unfilled Boeing orders. The lessor announced the order in October subject to approval by its majority shareholder.

Boeing 737 MAX in Avolon livery. — Boeing and Avolon have finalised Avolon’s purchase of 140 Boeing 737-10 airplanes. [Boeing]

Edited by:

African Pilot Newsdesk

Why this article matters
Avolon announced the 140 aircraft in October as part of a 250-aircraft order split between Boeing and Airbus, as firm orders subject only to approval by the shareholders of its 70% shareholder, Bohai Leasing. Finalisation completes the Boeing part of that order and places 140 of the largest 737 MAX variant in a lessor’s orderbook, from which they will be leased to airlines.

For African carriers, much of whose fleet growth comes through operating leases, lessor orderbooks determine which new aircraft are available and when. Avolon already places 737 MAX aircraft with African airlines, including Royal Air Maroc, and its enlarged backlog of more than 240 unfilled Boeing orders is the pool from which future placements will come as deliveries of the 737-10 proceed.

Of Interest
- Avolon has finalised its purchase of 140 Boeing 737-10 aircraft.
- The order takes Avolon’s backlog to more than 240 unfilled Boeing orders.
- Avolon announced the order on 9 October 2026, subject only to approval by the shareholders of Bohai Leasing, its 70% shareholder.
- Lessors have placed firm orders for more than 230 737-10s in 2026.
- The 737-10 seats up to 230 passengers and has a range of 3,100 nautical miles.
- Avolon works with 138 airlines in 62 countries, with an owned, managed and committed fleet of 1,092 aircraft.

Boeing and Avolon announced on 4 November 2026 that the lessor finalised its purchase of 140 737-10 airplanes, a record 737 MAX order by a lessor that increases Avolon’s backlog to more than 240 unfilled orders.

Lessors have placed firm orders for more than 230 737-10 airplanes in 2026, five times more than the lessor backlog for the largest 737 MAX variant at the end of 2025.

With the 737-10, Avolon can meet strong market demand for larger single-aisle jets and leverage the versatility of the 737 family.

“We continue to see strong demand for new technology aircraft, and this order further strengthens our long-term delivery pipeline. The 737-10 combines outstanding economics with the capacity airlines increasingly require, making it one of the most attractive aircraft in its class,” said Avolon CEO Andy Cronin. “This agreement enhances our ability to support airline growth and fleet renewal well into the next decade, while further strengthening our long-standing partnership with Boeing.”

The 737, with a large customer base and low operating costs, is a cornerstone of most lessors’ portfolios, representing approximately 30% of all financed airplanes.

“Avolon’s growing and diverse 737 MAX portfolio enables its airline customers to modernise fleets with aircraft that reduce emissions and operating costs, improve route economics and support long-term sustainability goals,” said Brad McMullen, Boeing senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing. “As long-term travel demand is expected to remain strong, we stand ready to support lessors expanding their single-aisle portfolios with fuel-efficient jets that can operate across diverse route networks.”

The 737-10 offers the best per-seat economics of any single-aisle airplane. It can seat up to 230 passengers and has a range of 3,100 nautical miles (5,740 kilometres).

Projected 4% annual passenger traffic growth over the next 20 years is driving lessors to broaden single-aisle offerings. Lessors have ordered more than 1,450 737 MAX airplanes, about 20% of Boeing’s backlog.