The flagship airline of China, Air China, announced on Tuesday that it and a subsidiary had reached an agreement with Airbus to purchase 60 A320NEO aircraft for around $9.5 billion at list prices.
This week, a number of carriers in the second-largest aviation market in the world have announced plans to purchase Airbus aircraft, including Spring Airlines and Juneyao Airlines. Air China informed the Shanghai Stock Exchange in a filing that the aircraft will be delivered in phases between 2028 and 2032.
The aircraft manufacturer said in a statement, "We're very pleased that Air China has decided to order more Airbus A320-family aircraft."
According to Li Hanming, an independent aviation expert based in the United States, the acquisition is a component of a 2022 framework agreement between China Aviation Supplies Holding Company (CASC) and Airbus.
The transaction, which was worth roughly $17 billion, included eight A350 widebodies and 132 A320-family aircraft. "Negotiations for individual contracts take time," Li stated.
Long-standing hostility between Beijing and Washington has made it difficult for Boeing to get fresh contracts in China, providing Airbus an advantage.
