Airbus announced on March 18, 2026, that leasing company AerCap had placed a firm order for up to 100 A320neo family aircraft, including 23 A320neos and 77 A321neos.
This is the largest single direct order for this type of aircraft placed by the Dublin-based leasing giant to date.
“This order for 100 A320neo Family aircraft reflects our strong belief in the long-term demand for these highly efficient aircraft and will help meet the continued demand we see from our customers for both growth and replacement needs,” stated Aengus Kelly, CEO of AerCap, in the press release announcing the deal.
The order also signals the world’s largest aircraft lessor’s confidence in the future of the A320neo family, coming as Airbus faces renewed competition from Boeing, which regained the annual new order lead in 2025 for the first time in several years.
Airbus and AerCap did not disclose a delivery schedule or the financial terms of the agreement.
This is also the first direct Aercap order for A320-family aircraft in eight years. The last order of this type the lessor placed with the European manufacturer was in December 2017, when it exercised options for 50 aircraft, 25 A320neo and 25 A321neo, with deliveries starting from 2022.
In October 2025, Aercap also got hold of Spirit Airlines’ Airbus order book, which included 52 A320neo aircraft plus ten options, as part of the legal proceedings to restructure the low-cost airline. This deal allowed Aercap to secure the delivery slots Airbus had previously allocated to Spirit Airlines.
According to ch-aviation data, Aercap manages 1,825 aircraft of all types as of March 2026, 1,760 of which are owned outright. Prior to this order, Aercap had still four A320neo and 33 A321neo aircraft in its order book and awaiting delivery.
