Boeing and SMBC Aviation Capital announced that the global aviation finance platform and lessor has ordered 100 B-737 MAX airplanes, including 60 B-737/10 and 40 B-737/8 jets.

The B-737/10 order represents SMBC Aviation Capital's first purchase for the MAX family's highest capacity variant. With this order, SMBC Aviation Capital increases its owned, managed and committed to portfolio for the 737 MAX family to 450 jets. 

The 737/10 has the best per-seat economics of any single-aisle airplane, seating up to 230 passengers with a range of 3,100 nautical miles (5,740 km). By selecting the 737-10, SMBC Aviation Capital will be able to meet strong market demand for larger single-aisle jets, diversify its asset mix and capture a new customer base.

As global passenger traffic is forecast to grow 4% annually over the next two decades, lessors are increasingly looking to grow and diversify their single-aisle portfolios to provide airlines with more fuel-efficient jets capable of operating across a variety of route networks. Lessors have ordered more than 1,450 B-737 MAX jets, representing 20% of the MAX backlog.