SMBC orders 200 aircraft from Boeing and Airbus

Leasing company SMBC Aviation Capital ordered 200 medium-sized aircraft from Boeing and Airbus at the start of the Farnborough Air Show on Monday, the companies said.

Boeing said SMBC ordered 100 737 MAX jets. Airbus said the Dublin-based leasing firm also ordered 100 A320neo-family aircraft.

The Airbus order covers 65 A321neo and 35 A320 models. Airbus said the value was not disclosed. It quoted SMBC Aviation Capital chief executive Peter Barrett as saying the order would give airline customers access to a continuing delivery pipeline for the model into the mid-2030s.

Boeing said SMBC's order covers 60 737-10 aircraft and 40 737-8 aircraft. The value of that order was also not disclosed. Barrett said SMBC's partnership with Boeing goes back more than two decades and said the order reflects demand from airline and investor customers seeking more capacity with the 737-10.

SMBC is based in Dublin, Ireland, and manages a fleet of 1,700 aircraft for more than 170 airlines worldwide.

The announcements came as Boeing seeks to recover from production quality issues, lawsuits and governance changes. The source said the US Federal Aviation Administration's decision in October 2025 to lift the cap on production of the 737 MAX was seen as an important milestone. Boeing is also awaiting certification of three new aircraft after years of delays.

Airbus said in April that its first-quarter profit fell after it delivered fewer planes to customers, falling behind Boeing for the first time in years. Airbus delivered 114 aircraft in the quarter, compared with 143 for Boeing, and said the delivery drop was mainly due to a shortage of Pratt & Whitney engines. Net profit fell 26 percent from a year earlier to 586 million euros, or $667 million.

Boeing also said on Monday that Saudi carrier Riyadh Air was exercising options for 28 787 Dreamliners from an order placed in 2023 and would convert 20 options to the largest variant of that aircraft. Airbus separately said Riyadh Air confirmed an order for six additional A350-1000s, bringing its firm commitment for that model to 31 aircraft.