Avolon Orders 110 Airbus Aircraft and Leads A330-900 Lessor Rankings
Dublin-based Avolon has placed a firm order for 110 Airbus aircraft, comprising 35 A330-900s and 75 A320neo family jets, confirmed on 9 October 2026.
By The Aviation Hub
4 min read
The Avolon Airbus deal, confirmed on 9 October 2026, sees Dublin-based lessor Avolon place a firm order with Airbus for 110 aircraft, made up of 35 A330-900 widebodies and 75 A320neo family narrowbodies. The order cements Avolon's position as the leading A330-900 customer among lessors worldwide.
According to AeroTime, Airbus formally confirmed the order, with Avolon's total A330-900 purchases from the manufacturer now standing at 114 aircraft and its A320 family order book rising to around 650 jets.
What the Avolon Airbus Order Covers
The firm order splits into 35 A330-900 widebodies and 75 narrowbodies from the A320neo family. Aviacionline reports that Airbus has not detailed how the 75 narrowbodies are divided between the A320neo and the A321neo, nor has it disclosed a delivery schedule.
Avolon has shown a clear preference for the larger A321neo in recent transactions. In July 2025 it ordered 75 A321neos and 15 A330neos with deliveries through 2033, and in 2023 it converted 50 A320neos already on order to the A321neo.
Part of a Much Larger Spending Spree
The Airbus deal is only half of the story from Avolon on 9 October 2026. RTÉ reports that Avolon simultaneously agreed to order 140 Boeing 737 MAX jets, meaning the combined announcement covers 250 aircraft in total. Avolon also secured an option to purchase a further 100 unspecified Airbus aircraft.
The combined orders bring Avolon's total order book to 749 aircraft, on top of the 561 it currently owns, according to RTÉ. That makes for a committed pipeline of more than 1,300 jets for the world's third-largest aircraft lessor.
A330-900 Launch Customer Since 2014
Avolon's relationship with the A330-900 goes back further than most. Aviacionline notes that the Dublin company was the A330-900 programme's launch customer in 2014, and it has now acquired 114 of the type directly from Airbus, a figure that places it ahead of all other lessors.
Airbus EVP Sales Benoît de Saint-Exupéry said the transaction was "another demonstration of the strong demand from lessors for the A330neo and the A320neo." He added in comments reported by AeroTime: "With this acquisition, Avolon confirms its position as the leading lessor for the A330-900, having purchased 114 of the type from Airbus."
How the Fleet Stands Today
As of 30 June 2026, Avolon had an owned, managed and committed fleet of 1,117 aircraft, according to Aviacionline. At the end of the first quarter, new-generation aircraft orders and commitments totalled 506 units, with 85% of deliveries scheduled through to the end of 2028 already assigned to a customer. By the close of the second quarter, that placement rate had edged down to 80%.
During the third quarter Avolon also bought 10 planes and sold 29, with a further 112 aircraft agreed for sale at the end of September, RTÉ reports. The company executed 84 lease agreements, extensions and amendments across the same three-month period.
Airlines Already Taking Delivery from the Order Book
Placement of the A330neo is already generating revenue. Aviacionline reports that Avolon has agreed to lease Etihad Airways 13 Airbus aircraft from its order book, nine of which are A330neos. For readers interested in how widebody Airbus jets are deployed across long-haul networks, our coverage of the Emirates Airbus A380 and its UK routes shows the scale of demand for large Airbus widebodies on premium routes.
You can explore the full range of Airbus aircraft types and their operators using our Aircraft Search tool.
What CEO Andy Cronin Said
Avolon CEO Andy Cronin framed the order in terms of long-term pipeline rather than short-term opportunity. "We continue to see strong demand for new aircraft, and this order further strengthens our long-term delivery pipeline," he said, as quoted by AeroTime. He added that Avolon expects demand for both the A330neo and the A320neo "to remain strong given the long-term growth trajectory of the aviation sector."
In comments to RTÉ, Cronin also said the orders "further enhance our ability to support the future fleet requirements of our airline customers as they renew and expand their fleets into the most fuel-efficient technology available."
The Bottom Line
This order consolidates Avolon's standing as the dominant lessor customer for the A330-900, a position the company has held since it backed the programme at launch more than a decade ago. Combined with the concurrent Boeing order, Avolon has committed to 250 new aircraft in a single announcement, taking its total order book to 749 jets. With 80% of near-term deliveries already placed and an Etihad deal already signed from within this order book, Avolon's pipeline looks well-supported. The unspecified Airbus option for a further 100 aircraft gives the lessor additional flexibility if airline demand continues to hold.
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