In Dublin, Ireland, aircraft lessor Avolon is expanding its future fleet pipeline with an order for 110 Airbus aircraft, announced on 9 October. The package combines 75 A320neo-family jets with 35 A330-900 widebodies, giving the company additional aircraft to place with airline customers.
Airbus says the agreement takes Avolon's cumulative A330-900 orders to 114 and its A320-family orders to nearly 650. Those figures describe cumulative orders.
One part of a larger transaction
Avolon's quarterly update puts the Airbus purchase within a wider package of 250 aircraft, including 140 Boeing 737 MAX jets. It also identifies options for another 100 Airbus aircraft. Options are separate from the firm-order figures.
The lessor says the transactions are subject to approval by shareholders of Bohai Leasing, expected before the end of October. That condition belongs alongside the headline numbers: an announced order package and completion of its outstanding approval process are different stages.
The same update reports that 89 per cent of Avolon's committed deliveries over the following two years had been placed with customers. That measure concerns its existing delivery pipeline.
Why a lessor buys aircraft
Avolon describes two main routes into its portfolio: ordering new aircraft from manufacturers and acquiring aircraft through sale-and-leaseback transactions. In the latter arrangement, an airline sells an aircraft and leases it back, obtaining financing while continuing to use the asset.
A lessor's manufacturer order can give airline customers access to future delivery positions without requiring each carrier to negotiate that particular purchase directly. The eventual operator may therefore be different from the company named in the manufacturer's order announcement.
The work also continues after delivery. Avolon's business description highlights maintenance records, reserves, insurance documentation and dialogue with the airline throughout a lease. The financial transaction is supported by continuing management of a physical aircraft.
What the announcement does — and does not — tell travellers
The split between single-aisle A320neo-family aircraft and twin-aisle A330-900s gives the order relevance to different airline fleets. It does not identify a new route, a passenger cabin layout or a specific delivery date for each aircraft.
The next concrete step is the stated shareholder approval process, followed over time by customer placements and deliveries. For now, the story is about securing future aircraft supply and financing options for airlines, with the outstanding condition clearly visible.