United Airlines has agreed to sale-leaseback transactions involving 20 incoming Boeing 737 Max 9s with lessor SMBC Aviation Capital.
The Irish lessor disclosed the sale-leaseback agreements, which apply to Max 9s delivered in late 2025 and 2026, on 10 December.
It is the lessor’s third such deal with United, including a deal last year covering the lease of 20 Airbus A321neos from SMBC Aviation Capital’s orderbook, and sale-leaseback transactions of 20 737 Max 8s.
Michael Leskinen, United’s chief financial officer, says the latest agreement “supports our fleet strategy” and the Chicago-headquartered carrier’s ongoing fleet modernisation efforts.
Fleets data provided by aviation analytics firm Cirium show that United has 115 737 Max 9 jets in service and another 108 on order.
United, a major Boeing customer, holds orders for 275 of the airframer’s latest-generation narrowbody jets, including 737 Max 8s and 9s and still-uncertificated Max 10s, according to Cirium.
The carrier boasts an operational fleet of more than 1,000 aircraft.
