Boeing and Airbus are heading into Farnborough International Airshow 2026, which opens today, with one of the season's marquee deals still in play. Dublin-based SMBC Aviation Capital, the world's second-largest aircraft lessor, is in advanced talks with both planemakers for a commitment of roughly 100 narrowbody jets, according to Bloomberg — a decision expected around the show's opening.
737 MAX vs A320neo, and the lessor prize
Boeing is in advanced talks with SMBC for about 100 of its 737 MAX jets, Bloomberg reports, while Airbus is discussing a commitment for a similarly sized A320neo-family order. The lessor is jointly owned by Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and Sumitomo Corporation and manages a fleet of about 987 aircraft leased to more than 200 airlines in 65 countries, giving it outsized sway over how new production capacity flows into the global market.
The rest of the Farnborough order book
SMBC is only one of several deals expected to be firmed at the show. Etihad Airways is expected to add ten Boeing 787 Dreamliners, Philippine Airlines is reportedly readying orders for 15 Boeing 787-10s and nine Airbus A350-1000s, and further widebody talks are circling. The 2024 edition of Farnborough delivered a combined $105 billion in list-price orders, and even a subdued 2026 show is likely to add double-digit billions on top.
A record-size airshow with a defense edge
Farnborough 2026 is the largest edition in its 78-year history, with more than 1,400 exhibitors from 41 countries and organisers projecting 100,000+ visitors across five days. The opening also brings the Farnborough static debut of Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat collaborative combat aircraft, the first public flying demonstrations of the Vertical Aerospace VA-1X eVTOL, and the newly signed £4.6B GCAP sixth-generation fighter contract from Britain, Italy and Japan.
Reporting based on coverage from Bloomberg, Reuters and Simple Flying.