Airbus lands large-scale year-end aircraft orders from Chinese carriers

Airbus secured a flurry of year-end aircraft orders from Chinese airlines, reinforcing the European planemaker's dominance in China and its long-term commitment to the world's second-largest aviation market.

In just two days at the end of December, five Chinese companies — Air China, Spring Airlines, Juneyao Air, China Express Airlines and China Aircraft Leasing Group — announced deals to purchase a combined 148 Airbus A320 family jets, all narrow-body aircraft, according to company filings.

China's national flag carrier Air China led the orders. In a filing released on Dec 30, the airline said it had signed an agreement to purchase 60 A320neo series aircraft for about $9.5 billion at catalog prices, with deliveries scheduled between 2028 and 2032, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval.

The announcement followed similar disclosures by other domestic carriers earlier in the week. On Dec 29, budget carrier Spring Airlines and privately owned Juneyao Air announced plans to buy a combined 55 A320 family jets.

Regional operator China Express Airlines said on Dec 30 it would acquire three A320 series jets in a deal valued at about $380 million, while China Aircraft Leasing Group said on the same day it had signed an agreement with Airbus to purchase 30 A320neo family aircraft.

The latest batch of orders adds to a series of large deals that have cemented Airbus' leading position in China in recent years. In July 2022, Airbus secured an order for 292 A320neo family aircraft from China's three major domestic airlines — Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines. This was followed in April 2023 by an agreement with China Aviation Supplies Holding Co for 160 aircraft, including 150 A320 family jets and 10 A350-900 wide-body planes.

By the end of 2025, Airbus' market share in China had risen to about 55 percent, overtaking Boeing, with China becoming Airbus' largest single-country market for several consecutive years.

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury has highlighted the scale of China's aviation potential. He told Chinese media in October that China will need about 9,500 new aircraft over the next 20 years, accounting for roughly one-fifth of global demand, and has described the A320 family as "the world's bestselling single-aisle aircraft", competing directly with Boeing's 737 series.

Industry executives have warned that demand for narrow-body jets is outstripping supply. In 2024, a senior executive at global aviation financing firm Avolon said key models from both Airbus and Boeing — widely understood to include the A320neo and 737 MAX — were effectively sold out until around 2030.

To meet rising demand, Airbus is accelerating production while deepening its manufacturing footprint in China. In December, the company delivered its 800th A320 family aircraft assembled in China, an A321neo handed over to Air China from its final assembly line in Tianjin.

"This milestone demonstrates Airbus' commitment to deepening strategic partnerships in the country," said George Xu, Airbus executive vice-president and CEO of Airbus China.

The Tianjin facility, inaugurated in 2008, was Airbus' first commercial aircraft final assembly line outside Europe. Airbus opened a second A320 family final assembly line in Tianjin in October, part of a broader effort to raise global A320 production to 75 aircraft per month by 2027.

The new line is expected to be fully operational by early 2026, using Airbus' latest manufacturing processes. Airbus now operates 10 final assembly sites worldwide, including two in China.

Airbus said that in 2024 about a quarter of the jets assembled in Tianjin were delivered to markets outside China.

The company's industrial ties with China have also deepened. A majority of Airbus' direct procurement work packages in China are manufactured by Aviation Industry Corp of China, accounting for more than half of Airbus' total industrial cooperation value in the country. Around 200 Chinese suppliers support Airbus' civil aircraft program, and AVIC has become Airbus' largest non-engine supplier globally.

The surge in Airbus orders comes as China steps up efforts to attract foreign investment, particularly in high-end manufacturing. A new version of its Catalogue of Encouraged Industries for Foreign Investment, set to take effect in February, aims to further expand market access and improve the business environment.

Official data show that foreign investment in high-tech sectors has been growing faster than overall inflows. From January to November 2025, China approved more than 61,000 new foreign-invested enterprises, up nearly 17 percent year-on-year.

lijing2009@chinadaily.com.cn