CDB Aviation, a Chinese aircraft leasing company, announced on September 19, 2024, that one of its subsidiaries, Ireland-domiciled CDB Aviation Lease Finance, is placing an order for 50 Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft.
In a notification to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the leasing firm confirmed that it expects to receive delivery of the aircraft between 2028 and 2031.
The deal, which is the largest Boeing 737 MAX order from China in nearly a decade, comes barely a week after CDB Aviation announced a similar deal for 80 Airbus A320neo aircraft. The Airbus aircraft are expected to be delivered between 2030 and 2032.
This is not the first B737 MAX order placed by CDB Aviation. As of September 2024, and excluding the latest order, the Chinese leasing firm has 34 active aircraft of this type in its portfolio and another 36 committed.
According to ch-aviation data, there are currently (excluding the new CDB Aviation order) 138 Boeing 737 MAX family aircraft on order from Chinese carriers, which have not yet been delivered.