Year-End Move from Air China
Year-End Move from Air China: Orders 60 Airbus A320neo Aircraft
As the year draws to a close, Air China signed an agreement with Airbus for 60 aircraft from the A320neo family. Announced through a regulatory filing, this order represents one of the largest single-aisle commitments by a Chinese airline this year.
The deal’s list price is reported at approximately $9.5 billion, with commercial discounts applied. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2028 and continue gradually until 2032. Some of the aircraft will join Air China’s main fleet, while others will operate under its wholly-owned subsidiary. The airline stated that the new fleet will support both capacity growth and modernization, replacing aging narrow-body aircraft and reducing fuel consumption and emissions.
The A320neo family, available with CFM LEAP-1A or Pratt & Whitney PW1100G GTF engines, offers double-digit fuel savings compared to the previous-generation A320ceo. As the backbone of the global short- and medium-haul market, this family represents a significant portion of Airbus’ cumulative order book. The manufacturer aims to reach a production rate of 75 aircraft per month in the coming decade.
Back-to-Back Airbus Orders from China in December
Air China’s order marks the latest in a series of Airbus agreements from Chinese carriers at the end of December:
- Spring Airlines plans to acquire 30 A320neo aircraft for delivery between 2028–2032, with a list price of approximately $4.13 billion.
- Juneyao Airlines submitted a letter of intent for 25 A320 family aircraft for delivery in the same period, valued at around $4.1 billion.
- China Aircraft Leasing Group (Hong Kong) expanded its previous 30-aircraft A320neo order, bringing its total commitment to 203 aircraft.
Overall, these agreements underscore China’s strategic importance to Airbus. Since 2024, Airbus has conducted large-scale negotiations with Chinese customers, recently reaching consensus on restarting deliveries of 120 previously ordered aircraft.
