Avolon adds 140 jets to Boeing order list

In Everett, Boeing announced on Wednesday that it has secured 140 additional orders for its 737 MAX 10 aircraft. The buyer is Avolon, a global aviation finance company that leases planes to airlines. This transaction marks a record high for a single lessor order of the 737 MAX series.

Avolon’s total unfilled orders for the jet now stand at 240. Andy Cronin, the company’s CEO, stated that demand for new technology aircraft remains strong. He noted that the 737-10 offers better economics and the capacity airlines need, making it a leading choice in its class.

This new contract arrives as Boeing attempts to stabilize its 737 production line. The company’s commercial airplane division currently holds a backlog of more than 6,300 planes. The value of that backlog totals $612 billion, according to Boeing’s third-quarter earnings presentation.

Deliveries for the 737 MAX 10 began recently after the Federal Aviation Administration certified the aircraft on Oct. 20. The certification ended a wait of nearly a decade. The variant seats up to 230 passengers and can travel a range of 3,100 nautical miles. The Everett production line, known as the North Line, rolled out the first MAX 10 six days after receiving certification.

The North Line produces the 737 MAX 8, 9, and 10 models. Wings for these planes are manufactured at the Renton site and then transported to Everett for final assembly. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said in September that the line is taking a bit longer to stabilize than expected. To reach a production goal of 52 planes per month, the company must certify the North Line, stabilize wing production, and then focus on fuselage production in Kansas.

In 2026, lessors have placed more than 230 firm orders for the MAX 10 variant. This total is five times higher than the lessor backlog at the end of 2025. Lessors currently hold over 1,450 737 MAX planes, which represents about 20% of Boeing’s total backlog. The 737 family makes up roughly 30% of all financed airplanes in these portfolios.

Brad McMullen, Boeing’s senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing, said the company is ready to support lessors as they expand their single-aisle fleets. He pointed to a projected 4% annual increase in passenger traffic over the next 20 years as a driver for this growth.