A Company That Owns Jets for a Living Just Ordered 140 More

Irish aircraft lessor Avolon has ordered 140 Boeing 737 MAX 10 jets, Boeing said early Wednesday, calling it the largest MAX 10 order ever placed by a leasing company. The deal lifts Avolon’s Boeing backlog past 240 aircraft and arrives only weeks after the FAA granted the stretched narrowbody its long-awaited type certification.

Lessors have been driving much of the jet’s momentum this year. Boeing says leasing companies have now placed firm orders for more than 230 MAX 10s in 2026, roughly five times the lessor backlog the model had at the end of 2025. Leasing firms matter because they buy aircraft and then rent them to airlines, so their appetite is a signal of how many carriers expect to want the plane.

The MAX 10 has had a long road. The smaller MAX 7 won certification in August, and the MAX 10 followed in October after years of regulatory delay. Industry data lists more than 1,500 firm orders, led by United with 167, then Alaska with 163, American with 115 and Delta with 100. Ryanair has 150 on order and WestJet 101, and WestJet is expected to be the launch customer.

Avolon chief executive Andy Cronin said the agreement supports airline growth and fleet renewal well into the next decade. For travelers the practical effect is still a little way off, since entry into service and delivery slots will take time, but the order suggests the largest 737 will become a familiar sight on US and European routes later this decade.

Sources: Simple Flying