Air China Ltd. will buy 60 Airbus SE aircraft in a long-anticipated transaction worth $9.53 billion, according to a filing with the Shanghai stock exchange, deepening its reliance on western-made aircraft.
The state-run carrier said it would take delivery of the A320neo family planes from 2028-2032. China has been lining up a group purchase of about 500 aircraft from Airbus, people familiar with the matter previously said.
The orders deliver a much-needed boost for Airbus, which has suffered setbacks in recent weeks, with software glitches temporarily causing a global recall of its most profitable jets, and quality issues emerging on some newly made aircraft. The most recent issue prompted Airbus to trim its 2025 delivery target to roughly 790 planes, 30 fewer than planned, but is likely to largely meet its revised goal.
The provisional order follows agreements with privately-run Spring Airlines Co. and Juneyao Airlines Co. for a combined $8.2 billion, according to Bloomberg calculations, before customary industry discounts are applied.
