This is the first major order announced on Monday at the Farnborough Airshow that started in the United Kingdom.
Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing’s commercial airplanes division, said this order “reflects the strong demand we see for the efficiency, reliability, and versatility of the 737 MAX family of aircraft.”
After production quality issues, legal disputes, and management restructuring, the US company plans a major comeback at the Farnborough show. Last October, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to lift production restrictions on the Boeing 737 MAX – the company’s best-selling aircraft – was considered a significant milestone. Additionally, after several years of delays, the company is awaiting certification for three new aircraft.
The SMBC order, whose value is undisclosed, includes 60 737-10 and 40 737-8 aircraft.
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“Our partnership with Boeing has lasted more than two decades, and this order reflects market dynamics as our customers – airlines and investors – seek to increase capacity using the 737-10 model,” said SMBC CEO Peter Barrett. “This order will help realize their expansion goals well into the next decade and reflects our strong confidence in the Boeing 737 MAX and the ongoing demand for economical and technologically advanced narrow-body aircraft.”
Based in Dublin, SMBC is considered a leading global aviation financing platform and has a fleet of 1,700 aircraft owned by more than 170 airlines worldwide.
Boeing also announced on Monday that Saudi Arabian airline Riyadh Air will exercise options to purchase 28 787 Dreamliner aircraft from a 2023 order and convert 20 options into the largest variant of this aircraft.
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