Airbus Snags Order For 60 A320neos From SMBC Aviation Capital

After all the hustle and bustle of the Dubai Airshow it’s a little surprising that so soon after, Airbus announced a new order for 60 A320neo Family aircraft. The order from the leading lessor SMBC Aviation Capital, caps off a great few weeks for Airbus and fills the lessor’s order book beyond the end of the decade.

Orders stretching out to the next decade

Airbus announced today that SMBC Aviation Capital (SMBC) has ordered a further 60 A320neo Family aircraft, building its total orders for the type to nearly 340 aircraft purchased directly from Airbus. With that many A320neo family aircraft on order, SMBC will receive a continuous flow of deliveries beyond the end of the 2020s and build on its significant fleet of Airbus single-aisle aircraft.

SMBC CEO Peter Barrett said that this transaction is further testament to sustained global demand for technologically advanced, fuel-efficient aircraft and comes amidst the continuing strong recovery in air travel worldwide. In today’s announcement, he added:

“With sustainability and operational efficiency remaining key priorities for our customers, we anticipate even greater demand for aircraft such as the A320neo and the A321neo in the years ahead. We look forward to strengthening our valued partnership with Airbus as we help our customers navigate these priorities.”

At the end of June, SMBC had a fleet of owned, managed and committed aircraft totaling 894 aircraft. The combined narrowbody fleet includes 519 Airbus A320 Family and 293 Boeing 737 Family aircraft and makes up around 91% of the total SMBC aircraft.

The widebody fleet of 82 includes 16 Boeing 787-8s and 19 787-9 Dreamliners, 16 Airbus A350-900s and six A350-1000s, while 25 aircraft fall in the Other category.

The A230neo Family of strong performers

The A320neo Family was launched in 2010, and since then, more than 6,500 orders from more than 100 customers have been received by Airbus, capturing a 60% share of the market. With sustainability front of mind, planning aircraft acquisitions a decade in advance means the right decisions are vital today if mid-range 2030 emissions goals are to be achieved.

Photo: Skycolors / Shutterstock

The A320neo Family of aircraft is already a strong and proven performer in the emissions reduction process, with new engines, Sharklets and cabin efficiency enablers delivering a combined 20% fuel saving by 2020. Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International, Christian Scherer, said SMBC Aviation Capital’s decision to reinvest for the long term in the A320neo Family shows a great confidence and commitment to what’s, and is continuing to be, the most successful aircraft program ever.

“As one of the world’s leading aircraft lessors, SMBC Aviation Capital is committing to its sustainable aviation roadmap through the world’s most efficient single aisle products. We very much appreciate our working relationship with SMBC and thank them sincerely for their continued confidence.”

After coming out of the depths of COVID-induced despair, commercial aviation is charging ahead and placing orders for aircraft that won’t be delivered for years, which leaves one to wonder if Airbus and Boeing will ever do anything concrete about their woeful and unreliable delivery schedules.