Boeing will be meeting demand by 2030, predicts chief of world’s largest wet lessor

Boeing will be meeting delivery demand for its commercial aircraft by 2030, predicts Gediminas Ziemelis, the chairman and founder of the world’s largest ACMI and wet-lease provider, Avia Solutions Group.

Ziemelis made the comments after visiting Boeing’s facilities in Seattle for a ceremonial signing with Boeing Commercial Airplane’s CEO, Stephanie Pope, for Dublin-based Avia Solution Group’s order for up to 80 737 MAX 8, placed in November last year. The order is split between 40 firm aircraft and 40 options.

Both Airbus and Boeing have encountered significant supply chain disruptions since the pandemic, hindering their ability to build on their 2018 delivery records. Boeing delivered 348 jets in 2024, leaving it with a total backlog of over 5,500 unfilled orders. Airbus managed to deliver 776 aircraft in 2024, four below its official target.

However, Ziemelis reckons Boeing will have successfully overcome its production issues within the next five years.

“I’ve seen first-hand as a customer that Boeing is turning the corner on its production issues. I anticipate a gradual return to 2018 production levels from both Airbus and Boeing as we progress through the rest of the decade. This year, and perhaps 2026, will be the last years when the industry will experience any real impact from missed deliveries. By 2030, I expect both manufacturers, to have resumed normal operations,” says Gediminas Ziemelis, chairman of Avia Solutions Group.

“The more vocal critics of Airbus and Boeing are likely being opportunistic, seeking to leverage current challenges for better deals. When we placed our inaugural direct order with Boeing last year, we did so based on our confidence in the aircraft and the company. This conviction remains unwavering.”

The new Boeing deal solidifies the Group’s connection to the US market. In 2021, Certares Management, a U.S. investment management firm focusing on the travel and tourism sector, together with Knighthead Capital Management, an investment advisory firm, invested EUR 300 million in the Group. The chairman, Gediminas Ziemelis, also recently participated in the inauguration ceremony of the 47th President of the USA, Donald Trump, in Washington.

Dublin-based Avia Solutions Group is a leading global provider of aviation services to the world’s leading passenger and cargo airlines. The Group has offices in Ireland, the USA, the United Arab Emirates, Lithuania, Australia, Asia Pacific, and South Africa.