Chinese airlines order 95 Airbus jets in deals worth more than $17 billion

Chinese airlines have ordered 95 Airbus jets in deals worth more than $17 billion, according to company announcements on Friday.

Air China said in a filing to the Shanghai Stock Exchange that it had agreed to buy 55 Airbus planes for itself and a subsidiary in a $12.44 billion deal. The Beijing-based flag carrier said it would take 15 Airbus A350-900 jets, while its subsidiary Shenzhen Airlines would receive 40 aircraft from the A320neo family.

Air China said the planes would be delivered in batches from 2029 to 2032. It also said Airbus had made significant price concessions for both airline purchases.

Hainan Airlines said in a separate filing to the Shanghai Stock Exchange that it had agreed to buy 40 Airbus A320neo aircraft for no more than $5.36 billion. It said those aircraft were scheduled for delivery from 2028 to 2032.

The report said China is a key export market for European aircraft, machinery and cars.

The orders follow earlier Airbus purchases by other Chinese carriers. In April, China Southern Airlines said it ordered 137 single-aisle Airbus A320neo planes with a catalogue value of $21.4 billion. In March, China Eastern Airlines said it had signed a $15.8 billion deal to buy 101 Airbus A320neo planes.

Airbus aims to deliver 870 commercial aircraft in 2026, which would be above its 2019 record of 863 deliveries.