Lufthansa orders 20 Boeing 737 MAX 10s and displaces Airbus

€1 = $1.15

Lufthansa Group's supervisory board approved the exercise of options for 20 Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft on 17 September 2026, the first MAX 10 commitment from a group that has operated an Airbus-first narrowbody strategy for decades and whose fleet currently contains no Boeing single-aisle jets. The 20 aircraft carry a combined list price of approximately $3.4bn and are earmarked to replace older Airbus A320-family jets across the group's airlines from the early 2030s.

The options were secured as part of a 2023 order for 40 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which included 60 purchase rights across the wider 737 MAX family; Wednesday's decision converts the first 20 of those 60 options and selects the larger MAX 10 variant, with 40 options remaining unexercised. Lufthansa said the MAX 10 will burn approximately 30 per cent less fuel than the aircraft it replaces, with its higher seating capacity expected to reduce unit costs by around 20 per cent.

The commercial significance extends beyond the order size: Lufthansa Group's narrowbody fleet has been overwhelmingly Airbus A320-family since the 1990s, making this the first systematic Boeing narrowbody commitment in a generation. The group said the new aircraft are intended to "gradually replace older Airbus A320 family aircraft across the Group," confirming that Boeing metal will displace Airbus metal at Europe's largest airline group by revenue.

Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the early 2030s, contingent on the MAX 10 receiving FAA type certification; the aircraft completed flight testing in July 2026 and is expected to receive its type certificate before year-end. The 40 unexercised options are the more important number to watch; their ultimate destination, Boeing or Airbus, will determine the longer-term direction of Lufthansa Group's narrowbody strategy.