Corporate News
Airbus SE has announced a series of developments that underscore its continued emphasis on fleet expansion, sustainability initiatives and market presence. A significant order from SMBC Aviation Capital, revealed at the Farnborough Air Show, includes 100 A320neo‑family aircraft—65 of the A321neo variant and 35 of the A320neo. The transaction is expected to deliver new planes to the financier’s airline clients in the 2030s, although financial details were not disclosed.
In the Middle East, Riyadh Air has expanded its commitment to the A350‑1000, adding six more aircraft to its existing order and bringing the total to 31. This move supports the airline’s strategy to serve more than one hundred destinations by 2030 and marks Riyadh Air as the first Saudi carrier to operate the A350‑1000.
Airbus has also secured eight additional H145 helicopters for Saudi operator The Helicopter Company (THC). Scheduled for delivery in 2027 and 2028, these helicopters will be used for ambulance and other critical missions under a 2024 framework agreement. The deal demonstrates Airbus’s ongoing activity in the helicopter market, though no financial terms were released.
Beyond commercial aircraft, the company is actively collaborating with Air Canada to promote sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Canada. Both firms have agreed to invest up to roughly C$13.7 million in a joint platform designed to scale domestic SAF production and support corporate travel emissions reductions. The initiative is part of a broader effort to decarbonise aviation, complementing Air Canada’s fleet‑modernisation plans that include fuel‑efficient Airbus models.
These announcements collectively illustrate Airbus SE’s focus on expanding its product portfolio across fixed‑wing and rotary‑wing segments while advancing sustainability and strengthening partnerships in key growth markets.
