Avolon orders 250 Boeing and Airbus aircraft

Aircraft leasing firm Avolon said Friday it had ordered 250 aircraft, split between 140 Boeing and 110 Airbus planes, as airlines seek modern, fuel-efficient models.

The Boeing order covers 140 aircraft from the 737 MAX family, the latest generation of Boeing's single-aisle, medium-haul aircraft.

Avolon ordered 75 Airbus A320neo family aircraft, which are in the single-aisle segment widely used by global airlines, and 35 Airbus A330neo family aircraft, a wide-body model for longer routes.

Avolon chief executive Andy Cronin said the company continued to see strong demand for new-technology aircraft, reflected in its placement and trading activity for the quarter. He said the orders would help Avolon support airline customers as they renew and expand their fleets.

The Irish company said it had also taken options on an additional 100 Airbus aircraft. It said the order still needed approval from its majority shareholder, China's Bohai Leasing, which it expected before the end of the month.

Avolon said that at the end of last month it owned or managed 1,092 aircraft, leasing them to 138 airlines in 62 countries.