Lessor BOC places order for 70 Airbus jets, boosting its order book to 200 aircraft
BOC Aviation, one of the world’s leading aircraft lessors, has placed a firm order with Airbus for an additional 70 A320neo family aircraft.
With this order, BOC Aviation’s backlog of aircraft to be delivered becomes the largest in its history with Airbus.
Steven Townend, BOC CEO and managing director, said: “This transaction will lift our remaining Airbus order book to around 200 aircraft and takes our total Airbus aircraft deliveries to over 700 (including purchase and leasebacks) since our first order in 1996.
“This order solidifies our position as one of the top five global aircraft operating lessors and provides us with a strong delivery pipeline into the next decade.”
He added: “We look forward to providing more airline customers with this popular fuel-efficient and technologically advanced aircraft.”
Benoit de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus EVP sales of the commercial aircraft business, said, “This new major order by BOC Aviation, is a testament to its enduring confidence in the A320 family – the world’s most successful single-aisle aircraft.
“This significant investment makes BOC Aviation one of the largest Airbus customers and highlights the strong and continued market demand for our fuel-efficient aircraft and their long term value.”
He added: “The A320 family delivers exceptional benefits to operators, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with BOC Aviation, providing airlines with cutting-edge fleet solutions.”
Wings for Airbus commercial aircraft are designed at its Filton plant near Bristol, where it employs more than 2.700 people.
Leading and trailing-edge wing sub-assemblies and some structural components are made by GKN on a neighbouring site for assembly at Airbus’s factory in Broughton, near Chester, which employs around 4,500 staff.
Airbus describes the A320 family is the world’s most popular single aisle aircraft, having won more than 19,000 orders globally.
The family includes the largest member, the A321neo (new engine option), offering unparalleled range and performance. The family offers 50% noise reduction and at least 20% fuel savings and CO₂ reduction compared with previous generation single-aisle aircraft, while maximising passenger comfort with one of the widest single-aisle cabins in the sky.
The A320 family can operate with up to 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) today and up to 100% by 2030.
