Continued demand fuels SMBC’s appetite for more Airbus A320neo-family aircraft

It was in the pipeline last week during the Dubai Airshow and expected to be announced yesterday, but Airbus confirmed only this morning that lessor SMBC Aviation Capital has ordered another 60 A320neo family aircraft.

The order is for both the A320neo and A321neo and brings the total number of neo-orders from to 184, says SMBC. This includes aircraft inducted since the acquisition of Goshawk Aviation. 

Airbus data show different numbers. It says that by the end of October, SMBC had taken delivery of 55 out of 147 A320neo’s on order and of 23 out of 55 A321neo’s on order. Including previous orders for 89 A320ceo’s and just six A321ceo’s, SMBC has now ordered 358 Airbus narrowbodies, although the airframer mentions ‘nearly 340’ in Tuesday’s press release.

SMBC says that the latest order stretches neo-deliveries through to 2031. CEO Peter Barrett sees continued strong demand for the Airbus narrowbodies. “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.”