Boeing secures 50-jet 737 MAX order from ACG
Boeing said on Tuesday it has secured a firm order from aircraft leasing company Aviation Capital Group (ACG) for 50 units of its 737 MAX jets, the manufacturer’s mainstay aircraft for the global commercial aviation market.
The agreement comes as Boeing continues efforts to restore customer confidence in the 737 MAX following two fatal crashes involving the aircraft in 2018 and 2019, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed in a joint statement released by the two companies.
ACG, a California-based subsidiary of Japan’s Tokyo Century Corp., now has a total of 121 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft on order. The latest purchase includes 25 units of the 737 MAX 8 and 25 units of the larger 737 MAX 10, a variant that has yet to receive full certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“ACG’s expanded order for the 737-10 reflects strong confidence in the airplane and its appeal to the lessor’s customers worldwide,” said Brad McMullen, Boeing’s commercial chief, in the statement.
Boeing was plunged into crisis after a 737 MAX operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air disappeared from radar shortly after takeoff from Jakarta in October 2018 and crashed into the Java Sea, killing all 189 people on board. Less than five months later, in March 2019, another 737 MAX crashed minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, killing all 157 passengers and crew.
The two disasters led to the global grounding of the 737 MAX fleet for 20 months, as investigations uncovered flaws in the aircraft’s flight control software, specifically the MCAS anti-stall system.
Boeing is expected to announce its full-year aircraft delivery figures for 2025 later on Tuesday. This comes a day after its main competitor Airbus reported deliveries of 793 commercial aircraft last year, marking a slight increase from the previous year.
Both manufacturers have faced challenges in returning to pre-pandemic production levels, as supply chain disruptions have affected the entire aerospace industry. At the same time, airlines are seeking to modernize their fleets with more fuel-efficient aircraft and expand capacity to meet anticipated growth in passenger demand over the coming decades.
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