Air Lease Corporation orders extra MAX to secure slots

Air Lease Corporation (ALC) has placed an order for fifty additional Boeing MAX 8 and 9 aircraft to secure delivery slots with the US airframer. As it did in November when it ordered more Airbus A321neo aircraft, ALC wants to make sure that it has the aircraft available before the MAX is expected to be sold out. Air Lease Corporation orders extra MAX to secure slots.

ALC has placed an incremental order for 32 MAX, which is currently part of a Memorandum of Understanding. It converted firm orders for three 787s into eighteen MAX, it said on February 17 during its full-year 2021 results presentation. Deliveries are scheduled for 2024 to 2026, most of which have been already placed. ALC ordered 75 MAX at the 2018 Farnborough Airshow (main picture, with Steven Udvar-Hazy in the center and John Plueger on the right) but in August 2019 reduced this to sixty by converting MAX to 787s. It now has done the opposite.

Talking to its customers, Air Lease sees that after two difficult years with Covid, the airline industry has reached an inflection point. Airlines are again looking to renew their fleet with more fuel-efficient aircraft with lower emissions. “We feel the same way, which is why we felt the recently announced orders with Airbus and Boeing

were necessary and appropriate for the long-term success of our platform and corporate strategy”, said Executive Chairman Steven Udvar-Hazy.