Airbus wins $17.8bn Chinese jet orders

Airbus (AIRp) has won major new business in China, with Air China group and Hainan Airlines placing aircraft orders with a combined transaction value of about $17.8 billion. The commitments expand Airbus’s footprint in one of the world’s largest aviation markets and add substantially to its long-term production backlog.

Air China and its Shenzhen Airlines unit are together acquiring 55 Airbus aircraft. The package includes 15 A350-900 widebody jets for Air China and 40 A320neo-family narrowbody aircraft for Shenzhen Airlines, with a list-value total of about $12.4 billion.

Separately, Hainan Airlines has agreed to purchase 40 A320neo-family aircraft. The value of this order is reported at up to about $5.36 billion based on list prices, contributing the remainder of the combined $17.8 billion transaction total.

The Air China order centers on 15 A350-900 aircraft, a long-haul widebody model suited to intercontinental routes. These jets are expected to support Air China’s international and longer-range operations as additional capacity is phased in over the next decade.

Shenzhen Airlines, part of the Air China group, is taking 40 A320neo-family jets. These narrowbody aircraft are typically deployed on domestic and regional routes, and the order indicates continued expansion or renewal of Shenzhen’s single-aisle fleet.

Hainan Airlines’ order for 40 A320neo-family aircraft similarly focuses on the single-aisle segment. The transaction positions the carrier to add or refresh capacity on short- and medium-haul routes using Airbus’s latest-generation narrowbody platform.

The new aircraft are scheduled for delivery over a multi-year period extending into the early 2030s. Hainan Airlines’ 40 A320neo-family jets are planned to arrive between 2028 and 2032, spreading fleet additions over five years.

For the Air China group, deliveries are also staged. Shenzhen Airlines is due to receive its 40 A320neo-family aircraft between 2029 and 2032, while Air China’s 15 A350-900 widebody jets are scheduled for delivery between 2030 and 2032.

The long delivery windows reflect the scale of the combined 95-jet order and provide both Airbus and the Chinese airlines with clear visibility on future capacity planning and production scheduling over the coming decade.

Taken together, the orders from Air China, Shenzhen Airlines, and Hainan Airlines represent a substantial commercial boost for Airbus in China. The deals reinforce the presence of the A320neo-family in Chinese narrowbody fleets and add new A350-900 widebodies to Air China’s long-haul operations.

The combined value of about $17.8 billion, based on list prices, underscores the scale of Chinese carriers’ planned fleet investments. The transactions highlight ongoing efforts by these airlines to expand and modernize their fleets over the next decade using Airbus’s latest-generation aircraft.