Aircraft Engine Lease Finance (AELF), a US-based commercial aircraft lessor, has acquired two Airbus A330 aircraft on lease to Madrid-based Wamos Air from entities managed by AerCap, adding a charter and wet-lease specialist to the airlines that lease its A330 fleet.

In a press release dated November 9, 2026, AELF said the transaction covers an Airbus A330-300 manufactured in 2011 and an Airbus A330-200 manufactured in 2009. The release did not disclose financial terms. The deal follows Deucalion Aviation’s March 2026 announcement that it had arranged the acquisition of three A330s on lease to the same airline for institutional investors.

AELF’s case for the A330

Joe Cirillo, President and Chief Commercial Officer of AELF, said the company was “thrilled to welcome Wamos Air as a lessee” and remains committed to what he called its “longstanding investment thesis for the A330 platform.” He set out that thesis in the release:

“The A330’s mid-life capital cost relative to new-technology aircraft, coupled with limited current-generation alternatives, supports its sustained value. With OEM production rates insufficient to meet mid-term demand, we expect continued narrowbody-like liquidity from Trent- and GE-powered A330 variants.”

According to the release, AELF’s A330 fleet is leased to airlines across North America, Europe and Africa and sits alongside a narrowbody portfolio of Boeing 737 aircraft. The company says it focuses heavily on the A330 and 737 types, and that it buys both aircraft already on lease and dormant or stub-leased assets, which it returns to service through maintenance and remarketing programs.

The release did not give the two aircraft’s serial numbers, engine types or remaining lease terms.

How AELF has built its A330 portfolio

AELF, which has offices in Chicago and Medley, Florida, is an Expedition Partners company and says it has been in operation for over a decade. On March 3, 2025, at the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT) Americas convention in Phoenix, it announced the acquisition of a 2016-vintage A330-300, MSN 1754, on lease to South African Airways, in a deal arranged by Arena Aviation Capital. In that release, AELF said it also leases a fleet of A330-200s.

In May 2025, AELF bought an A330-200, MSN 1104, from Avolon. The aircraft, powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent engines, remained on operating lease to Hawaiian Airlines and became AELF’s first aircraft with that carrier. In August 2025, the lessor leased an A330-200, MSN 489, to euroAtlantic Airways of Portugal. AELF said it was the first Airbus aircraft for the ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance) operator, which had flown only Boeing aircraft in its 30-year history.

AELF has also lined up new financing. In January 2026, AELF said it had raised $355 million in committed capital or term financings during 2025 from lenders including Investec, Absa Group, Merchants Bank and Natixis, to pursue growth opportunities and expand its fleet. In February 2026, it promoted Cirillo, who has 20 years of aircraft leasing experience and has held leadership roles at AELF since its inception, to President while he kept the Chief Commercial Officer role.

Wamos Air and its A330 lessors

Wamos Air traces its history to 2003, when it was founded as Pullmantur Air, and took the Wamos name in 2014. The airline, which describes itself as “Europe’s number one in charter and wet lease operations,” says it flies to 200 airports in 87 countries. Enrique Saiz has been chief executive since 2012, according to the company.

The fleet has grown since 2022. Wamos Air says that in 2022 it modernized its fleet to four A330-200s and five A330-300s; its fleet page now lists thirteen aircraft, eight A330-300s and five A330-200s.

On March 3, 2026, Deucalion Aviation said it had arranged the purchase of three Wamos Air A330s, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent engines, acting as arranger and servicer for institutional investors. Nate Riggs, Deucalion’s Chief Commercial Officer, said at the time that “The A330 remains a highly versatile variant.” Deucalion, which says it manages over $2 billion in aircraft assets, focuses on mid- to end-of-life widebody aircraft.

The Airbus A350-1000ULR test flight from Melbourne to Toulouse on July 27 and 28, 2026, has officially broken the Guinness World Record for the longest flight by distance by a commercial airliner, Airbus announced on November 9, 2026. The record stands at 12,503 nautical miles flown in 24 hours and 24 minutes, based on aircraft data that Airbus said was independently validated by the International Aeronautical Federation and Flightradar24.

The aircraft is the ultra-long-range variant Airbus is developing for Qantas Airways (QF) under Project Sunrise, the airline’s plan for non-stop flights from Sydney to London and New York. The validated distance is higher than the 12,460 nautical miles Airbus gave for the same flight in a newsroom story published on July 28, 2026, the figure used in AirPro News’ first report on the flight. The November release does not refer to the earlier figure.

The record flight

The Airbus-operated flight departed Melbourne at 06:27 UTC (17:27 local time) on Monday, July 27, 2026, and landed in Toulouse at 07:51 UTC (09:51 local time) on Tuesday, July 28. After takeoff the aircraft flew over Sydney, then headed across the Pacific on a north-easterly routing toward Los Angeles, crossing the international date line. It then crossed North America and the Atlantic before turning south toward the UK, passing over London on the way to Toulouse. Airbus said the crew saw two sunsets and two sunrises.

On board were a flight crew of three Airbus flight test pilots, two Qantas pilots and five Airbus flight test engineers, plus two Airbus design engineers and a representative of the International Aeronautical Federation. Airbus named the Qantas pilots as Captain Andrew Coull and Captain David Summergreene.

Guinness World Records defines the category as the farthest flight by a commercial aircraft on a non-regular scheduled service, measured in nautical miles with the kilometre equivalent. Lars Wagner, Chief Executive Officer Commercial Aircraft at Airbus, said in the release:

“Flying 12,503 nautical miles non-stop, we have fully proven the aircraft’s capability to fulfill its mission. And the world record was the icing on the cake!”

Why Airbus flew a 24-hour sector

The flight was part of the A350-1000ULR flight test campaign, which Airbus said included a requirement to operate one sector with a block time of 23 hours, from push-back to chocks-on, to simulate the longest commercial operations the aircraft will allow. In its July 28 story, Airbus said that block time was meant to cover Qantas’s intended flight time of 21 hours 40 minutes on Project Sunrise routes, plus holding, diversion and taxi times.

The test aircraft, MSN707, made its maiden flight in June and is powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines. It flew the outbound leg to Melbourne from Toulouse on July 23, a flight Airbus said lasted approximately 20 hours. According to Airbus, the testing focused on cabin comfort through air conditioning measurements and on fuel management, in particular the additional rear centre tank (RCT), which holds 20,900 litres. The crew also evaluated the new twin Flight Crew Rest Compartment, which has two separate sections with individual entrances.

Airbus test pilot Xavier Pepin, who captained the return leg, said the pilots worked four-hour shifts, with the crew rotated every two hours so that each incoming pilot overlapped with the outgoing one for two hours. On the second leg, an Airbus test pilot was always in one pilot seat whenever a Qantas pilot occupied the other, because Airbus held responsibility for the operation.

What comes next for Project Sunrise

Airbus said the A350-1000ULR will let Qantas operate non-stop flights from Sydney to London and New York, a distance of almost 10,000 nautical miles with flight times of up to 22 hours. The rear centre tank, integrated into the aircraft structure, is the main reason the aircraft can do so, according to Airbus, and adds 1,000 nautical miles of range.

Qantas has ordered 12 A350-1000ULRs, and Airbus said the first is scheduled for delivery in April 2027, with entry into service on the Sydney to London route later that year. Qantas said in June 2026 that non-stop Sydney to London flights will start from October 2027, with sales opening in February 2027, and that each aircraft will have 238 seats across four cabins. Sydney to New York is confirmed as the next route. Qantas said delivery, sales and service start dates remain subject to regulatory approvals and aircraft certification, and that more than 360 pilots and 1,200 cabin crew will be trained for the fleet by the time the 12th aircraft arrives.

Qantas, founded in 1920 and a oneworld member according to its AirPro Atlas entry, has flown Sydney to London since 1947; the original Kangaroo Route took four days and made seven stops. The airline also has 12 standard A350-1000s on order for its wider long-haul network, Airbus said.

The A350-1000ULR is the fourth passenger variant of the A350 Family, after the A350-900, A350-900ULR and A350-1000. The A350F freighter made its first flight on September 29, 2026, starting a nine-month flight test programme. At the end of October 2026, the A350 Family had 1,628 orders from 70 customers, with more than 740 aircraft flying with 42 operators, according to Airbus.

Singapore Airlines (SQ) is investing more than S$2 billion in new First, Business, Premium Economy and Economy Class seats for its long-haul fleet, with the products entering service progressively from the second half of 2027. That start comes later than the airline’s 2024 plan, which expected the first retrofitted Airbus A350-900 long-haul aircraft to enter service in the second quarter of 2026.

The airline announced the cabins in a press release dated November 6, 2026, alongside a second release presenting what it calls the next chapter of its end-to-end travel experience, unveiled at an event in Singapore where Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow was guest of honour. The new Boeing 777-9 will carry all four new cabin products, while 41 retrofitted A350-900 long-haul and A350-900 ultra-long-range (ULR) aircraft receive the new Business Class seat. First Class will appear on the A350-900ULR fleet for the first time.

What changes in each cabin

According to Singapore Airlines, First Class becomes a private space with curved sliding doors and companion dining, and its centre seats convert into a two-seater sofa or a double bed. Business Class brings improved ergonomics, more privacy, an adaptable personal space and companion beds. Smart cabin controls in both First and Business Class remember a customer’s preferred settings across journeys.

Premium Economy and Economy Class get more space, more comfort and new entertainment options, the airline said. The design work was split among three firms: PriestmanGoode designed First Class, Designworks designed Business Class, and Factorydesign designed Premium Economy and Economy Class. Collins Aerospace manufactures the new First, Premium Economy and Economy seats, and RECARO Aircraft Seating builds the Business Class seat.

The airline said development drew on research with more than 5,000 frequent travellers, customers, staff and industry experts worldwide, through focus groups, interviews, surveys and concept testing. The findings pointed to demand for greater privacy and comfort, intuitive functionality, flexibility and a more connected experience. Lee Lik Hsin, Chief Commercial Officer of Singapore Airlines, said the cabins “are united by the same ambition to make the experience more comfortable, flexible, and rewarding for our customers.”

How the A350 retrofit timeline has moved since 2024

Singapore Airlines first set out the programme in a press release dated November 4, 2024, when it committed S$1.1 billion to a multi-year retrofit installing all-new long-haul cabin products across 41 A350-900 long-haul and ULR aircraft. SIA Engineering Company in Singapore was named to carry out the work. At the time, the airline expected the first retrofitted A350-900 long-haul aircraft to enter service in the second quarter of 2026 and the first A350-900ULR in the first quarter of 2027, with the entire programme targeted for completion by the end of 2030.

The 2024 release listed the planned post-retrofit layouts. The 34 A350-900 long-haul aircraft were to seat 42 in Business Class, 24 in Premium Economy and 192 in Economy. The seven A350-900ULR aircraft were to carry four First Class, 70 Business Class and 58 Premium Economy seats. The airline said then that the A350 First and Business Class products used the same seat designs planned for its 777-9, and that full details would be revealed closer to the entry into service of its first 777-9 and first retrofitted A350-900.

The November 2026 figure of more than S$2 billion applies to the new cabin products for both the retrofitted A350s and the 777-9, while the 2024 figure covered the A350 retrofit programme. For scale, AirPro Atlas data has recorded 63 Airbus A350-900s flying in Singapore Airlines service since October 10, 2026.

The 777-9 and the rest of the package

The 777-9 side of the rollout depends on Boeing. In its third-quarter results release dated October 27, 2026, Boeing said the 777X program continued to progress on 777-9 certification flight testing and remained on track for first delivery in 2027. AirPro News covered the program’s final 777-9 human factors testing in June 2026.

The seats arrive with a new version of the KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system. Singapore Airlines lists 4K high-resolution touchscreens, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays on selected aircraft, spatial audio, Bluetooth pairing for personal headphones, a redesigned interface and more than 2,500 entertainment options. The OLED screens go in Business Class on the retrofitted A350-900 long-haul aircraft, in First and Business Class on the retrofitted A350-900ULR, and in Premium Economy and Economy on selected 777-9s. In an October 22, 2026, release, the airline said the new KrisWorld would enter service progressively from 2027.

The same October release said Starlink high-speed connectivity would be introduced progressively from early 2027 on the Airbus A380, A350-900 and A350-900ULR, following its selection of Starlink for Wi-Fi. Singapore Airlines also said it has invested more than S$130 million to renovate, refresh and expand its SilverKris lounges worldwide, including in Singapore. Chief Executive Officer Goh Choon Phong said: “This launch is not an endpoint.”

What suppliers and maintenance shops should note

The supplier split is weighted toward one seat maker: Collins Aerospace builds three of the four new seat products, covering First, Premium Economy and Economy Class, while RECARO Aircraft Seating supplies the Business Class seat, the product fitted across all 41 retrofitted A350s as well as the 777-9. For maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) work, the 2024 announcement placed the A350 retrofits with SIA Engineering Company in Singapore.

The next markers are Boeing’s first 777-9 delivery, which the manufacturer says remains on track for 2027, and the new cabins entering service on the retrofitted A350s and the 777-9 from the second half of 2027.