The year is ending strongly for the Boeing 737 MAX 10, with Irish aircraft leasing giant Avolon having just placed an order for 140 examples of the stretched narrowbody twinjet. This comes just weeks after the type finally received its type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration, paving the way for it to enter commercial service in the near future after a long and drawn-out regulatory battle.
Avolon’s latest purchase is a key vote of confidence in the Boeing 737 MAX 10, which has already racked up more than 1,500 firm orders. Among lessors, in particular, it has proven very popular this year, with such firms ordering five times as many Boeing 737 MAX 10s in 2026 as the lessor backlog in 2025. Avolon had already committed to a separate order, so this deal sees its backlog grow further.
Avolon Bets Big On The Largest MAX
The US planemaker confirmed in a statement released early on Wednesday that it had put pen to paper with Avolon on a deal for some 140 Boeing 737 MAX 10 single-aisle aircraft. This, it says, is a record order as far as lessors are concerned, and it brings Avolon’s backlog alone to more than 240 units. 737s as a whole are very popular among lessors, accounting for around 30% of all financed jets.
Brad McMullen, Boeing’s Senior Vice President of Commercial Sales & Marketing, welcomed the deal, stating that “Avolon’s growing and diverse 737 MAX portfolio enables its airline customers to modernize fleets with aircraft that reduce emissions and operating costs.” His sentiments were shared by Andy Cronin, the Chief Executive Officer of Dublin-based Avolon, who went on to say on Wednesday that:
“This agreement enhances our ability to support airline growth and fleet renewal well into the next decade, while further strengthening our long-standing partnership with Boeing.”
A Big Year For The MAX 10
Avolon’s latest order for the Boeing 737 MAX 10 has seen its order numbers boom as far as commitments by lessors in 2026 are concerned. This deal means that, as Boeing puts it, “lessors have placed firm orders for more than 230 737 MAX 10 airplanes in 2026.” This, the planemaker went on to say, is “five times more than the lessor backlog for the largest 737 MAX variant at the end of 2025.”
The development is emblematic of the recent turn in fortune that the Boeing 737 MAX 10 has experienced. While the mid-sized MAX 7 and MAX 8 variants have been in service for years, the smaller MAX 7 and the larger MAX 10 remained uncertified for a long time, causing considerable customer uncertainty. 2026, however, has been a breakthrough, with the MAX 7 securing certification in August of this year.
The MAX 10 then received its approval in October, bringing the long and drawn-out regulatory battle to an end. As it stands, WestJet is set to be the type’s launch customer, although, as Simple Flying explored last month, Alaska Airlines has been more publicly vocal about its planned timeline for the jet. Either way, it stands to do very well in the US, with all of the ‘big three’ legacy carriers committing to fly it.
Which Airlines Have Ordered The Boeing 737 MAX 10?
The regulatory uncertainty surrounding the Boeing 737 MAX 7 has proved to somewhat damage its commercial prospects, with data from ch-aviation showing that just 255 firm orders have been placed for the type. The MAX 10, however, has not faced these problems despite its lengthy certification timeline, with ch-aviation listing 1,553 firm orders. Of these, United Airlines is the top customer, with 167.
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This puts it just ahead of Alaska Airlines, with 163, while, elsewhere in the US, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have respectively put pen to paper on deals for 115 and 100 units. Further afield, Ryanair is the top foreign customer, with 150 firm orders, followed by WestJet on 101. Other big commitments have come from Pegasus Airlines (100), Akasa Air (99), Korean Air (62), Air Peace (60), and Lion Air (50).
