An Air China aircraft prepares to land at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport on May 17, 2025. Photo: VCG

China's flagship carrier Air China said on Tuesday night that the airline and a subsidiary have signed an agreement with Airbus to acquire 60 A320neo aircraft, a deal that follows similar recent purchases by other Chinese airlines.

Valued at approximately $9.53 billion based on list prices, the jets are scheduled for delivery between 2028 and 2032, Air China announced in a filing to the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

This transaction is subject to approval by the company's shareholders' meeting as well as authorization and recognition by the relevant state authorities. It aligns with the company's development plan and market demand, and will contribute to optimizing the fleet structure and ensuring long-term capacity replenishment, it said.

This announcement follows similar recent purchases of Airbus jets by other Chinese airlines, including Spring Airlines and Juneyao Airlines.

Specifically, Spring Airlines plans to purchase 30 A320neo series aircraft, at a price of approximately $4.128 billion, while Juneyao Airlines plans to purchase 25 A320 series aircraft for about $4.1 billion, according to stock exchange filings.

Juneyao Airlines said that this transaction aligns with the company's development plan and market demand, and will expand the company's carrying capacity, contributing to its overall development strategy and long-term capacity replenishment.

Spring Airlines also noted that the transaction is in line with the company's development plan and market demand. It will help optimize the fleet structure, supplement long-term capacity, and thereby enhance operational efficiency and market competitiveness.

In addition, China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings Limited (CALC) has signed a firm order with Airbus for 30 A320neo Family aircraft to meet strong demand for the aircraft from its customer base, according to the official website of Airbus on Tuesday. 

The agreement is the fifth order with Airbus, bringing the total number of Airbus aircraft ordered by CALC to 282, of which 203 are A320neo Family aircraft. 

The purchases came as Airbus steps up production in its China plant. Earlier this month, the European plane maker delivered its 800th A320 Family aircraft assembled at its Final Assembly Line in North China's Tianjin Municipality. 

Global Times