Avianca is continuing to build its future fleet around the Airbus A320neo, with 12 more aircraft now secured for delivery in 2029 through an agreement with BOC Aviation.
The Singapore-based lessor said on September 10 that it had agreed to purchase the 12 A320neos from Airbus and place them with Avianca on long-term leases. All 12 aircraft will be powered by CFM International LEAP-1A engines.
On the surface, it is another aircraft leasing deal. Look closer, however, and the numbers show just how extensive Avianca’s fleet plans have become.
According to ch-aviation data cited by AeroTime, Avianca is currently awaiting delivery of 77 A320neos. The airline already has 26 A320neos in its active fleet, with another 21 operating under wet leases.
The latest BOC Aviation agreement therefore forms part of a much bigger push to increase the number of next-generation narrow-body aircraft flying under the Avianca brand.
Avianca is building around the A320neo
Avianca, Colombia’s largest airline, is part of the Abra Group and has been pursuing a long-term fleet strategy focused heavily on modern narrow-body aircraft.
That strategy makes sense for an airline with an extensive network across Latin America. The A320neo can cover a wide range of markets, from high-frequency domestic routes to international services within the region and longer flights to destinations such as those in Europe.
For Avianca, replacing older aircraft with newer A320neos is not simply about having a younger fleet. The economics matter.
The A320neo family was developed with more efficient engines and aerodynamic improvements intended to reduce fuel consumption and emissions compared with earlier-generation A320 family aircraft. At a time when fuel remains one of the biggest variable costs for airlines, those savings can make a significant difference across a large fleet.
The commonality of the A320 family is another advantage. As Avianca adds more A320neos, the airline can continue building on existing pilot training, maintenance capabilities, spare-parts arrangements, and operational experience.
That becomes increasingly useful as the fleet grows.
Twelve aircraft, but a much bigger story
The 12 aircraft announced by BOC Aviation are relatively modest when viewed against Avianca’s entire order pipeline. Their importance comes from what they add to an already substantial A320neo commitment.
The airline is effectively securing capacity well ahead of time.
With deliveries scheduled for 2029, Avianca has several years to incorporate the aircraft into its fleet and network planning. That gives the carrier greater visibility over future capacity and allows it to align aircraft deliveries with expected passenger demand and network development.
It also highlights the importance of aircraft availability in today’s aviation market. Airlines cannot always wait until they need additional capacity before ordering aircraft. Airbus and Boeing have large backlogs, meaning carriers often have to make fleet decisions years in advance.
Avianca’s growing A320neo pipeline reflects that reality.
The aircraft arriving through BOC Aviation will not immediately add seats to the airline’s network. Their role is further down the road, helping ensure that Avianca has modern capacity available as it continues to expand and renew its fleet.
BOC Aviation strengthens its relationship with Avianca
For BOC Aviation, the agreement provides another opportunity to deepen an existing relationship with Avianca.
Steven Townend, CEO and Managing Director of BOC Aviation, said the company was pleased to build on its relationship with the airline and support its growing business.
He also highlighted a less visible element of the transaction: pre-delivery payment financing.
Aircraft financing is becoming increasingly important as manufacturers increase production and airlines continue placing large orders. Before a new aircraft is delivered, an airline typically has to make a series of payments to the manufacturer. Those payments can tie up substantial amounts of capital for years.
This is where major lessors can play an important role.
Rather than an airline funding the aircraft acquisition entirely itself, a lessor such as BOC Aviation can purchase the aircraft and lease it to the carrier. The airline gains access to new aircraft while preserving capital that can be used elsewhere in the business.
Townend said BOC Aviation’s access to significant liquidity allows it to support customers with transactions involving aircraft that are still several years away from delivery.
That is particularly relevant for the latest Avianca agreement.
Another A320neo deal between the two companies
The new agreement is also not the first time BOC Aviation has backed Avianca’s A320neo expansion.
In June 2025, BOC Aviation announced an agreement to purchase nine A320neos from Airbus for long-term leases to Avianca. Those aircraft were scheduled for delivery in 2027 and are also powered by CFM LEAP-1A engines.
The latest 12-aircraft transaction extends that relationship and gives Avianca additional future capacity.
It also fits neatly into BOC Aviation’s own A320neo strategy. The lessor has around 50 A320neos on order, according to ch-aviation data, as part of a total order book approaching 300 aircraft.
For an aircraft lessor, having a diversified group of airline customers is important. At the same time, securing long-term leases with established carriers provides greater visibility into future aircraft utilization and revenue.
Avianca’s fleet requirements make it a natural customer for that strategy.
Abra Group sees room for further growth
The agreement also needs to be viewed through the lens of Abra Group’s broader ambitions.
Francisco Raddatz, Chief Procurement Officer of Abra Group, said the transaction supports the group’s long-term fleet strategy and growth across the region.
He also pointed to modern, fuel-efficient aircraft as an important part of improving connectivity and operational efficiency.
That is particularly relevant in Latin America, where airlines are balancing growing demand with challenging operating economics.
A newer fleet can help an airline pursue both objectives at the same time. More efficient aircraft can reduce operating costs, while additional capacity allows carriers to increase frequencies or enter markets where demand supports expansion.
Avianca’s A320neo strategy appears designed to do exactly that.
Why 2029 matters for Avianca
The significance of the latest agreement is not really about what Avianca will do next month or even next year.
It is about where the airline wants to be toward the end of the decade.
Avianca already has a substantial A320neo presence, and the 77 aircraft still awaiting delivery suggest that its future fleet could look considerably different from today’s operation.
The 12 BOC Aviation aircraft will add to that pipeline, giving the carrier another source of capacity as older aircraft eventually leave the fleet and demand develops across its network.
The long delivery timeline also gives Avianca flexibility. The airline can plan network growth around incoming aircraft rather than having to rely solely on short-term capacity solutions such as wet leases.
That could become increasingly important as the carrier continues to build a more standardized fleet.
A sign of where Avianca is heading
There is a tendency to view aircraft leasing announcements in isolation. In Avianca’s case, the broader picture is more interesting.
The airline is not simply adding 12 Airbus A320neos. It is continuing a long-term shift toward a larger fleet of newer, more efficient narrow-body aircraft.
The scale of its existing A320neo pipeline makes that clear.
For BOC Aviation, the deal provides another long-term placement for a highly sought-after aircraft type and strengthens its relationship with a major Latin American airline. For Avianca, it provides additional certainty over future aircraft availability without requiring the carrier to finance the acquisition directly.
And for Abra Group, it supports a strategy built around fleet modernization and expansion.
The first of these 12 aircraft are still several years away from entering service. By 2029, however, Avianca’s A320neo fleet could be a much more dominant part of its operation.
That is ultimately why this deal matters. The headline number is 12 aircraft, but the bigger story is Avianca positioning its fleet for the next stage of growth in Latin America.
For more on Avianca, see: Avianca Secures $300M Financing for CFM56 Engine MRO
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