Lessor Aviation Capital Group Follows Recent A320, A321Xl Contract With Another Purchase

Airbus has seen another successful sale to a global, full-service aircraft lessor, signing a firm contract for 20 Airbus A220s hot on the heels of a much larger buy with the same group in December. Aviation Capital Group, owned by Tokyo Century Corporation, had placed an order for 40 A320neo and 5 A321XLRs in an expansion of their operations. 

Aviation Capital Group's fleet has grown significantly with the expansion of low-cost carriers and shipping services around the world. Their services include trading support, asset management, aircraft financing, and leasing that supports the operation and expansion of air services to 85+ airlines in over 40 countries worldwide. Their environmental course has been high profile in recent months following considerable investments into sustainable aviation, in everything from eVTOL manufacturers to a multi-million dollar ESG fund with Airbus to pursue sustainable aviation projects. 

That thread is, in large part, cause for their continued support for the Airbus family. Steven C. Udvar-Hazy, senior vice president of OEM relations and market development at the company, said this newest purchase is the result of the A220's "environmental friendliness, passenger comfort, and competitive operating economics." According to Airbus, operators see "a 50% reduced noise footprint and up to 25% lower fuel burn per-seat compared to previous generation aircraft, as well as around 50% lower NOx emissions than industry standards." Given the relationship between the manufacturer and the lessor, this will probably be only the latest in a long string of buys like this one. 

“This order for 20 A220s from Tokyo Century’s Aviation Capital Group reflects the potential of the aircraft as a sound investment, including for investors based in the Asia Pacific region”, said Christian Scherer, chief commercial officer and head of Airbus international. “We thank and congratulate our partners at ACG. With fuel and emissions efficiency ever more a discriminating investment choice, the A220 really stands out. Equally gratifying is the market feedback that the A220’s cabin is becoming the passengers’ darling in the regional and small single-aisle segments.”

FMI: www.airbus.com, www.aviationcapitalgroup.com