Chinese airlines make flurry of Airbus orders

China's national flag carrier, Air China, led a flurry of year-end aircraft orders from Chinese airlines this week, with four carriers committing to buy a combined 118 Airbus jets in order to meet demand in the world's second-largest aviation market.

In a filing on Tuesday night, Air China said it had signed an agreement to purchase 60 A320neo series aircraft for approximately $9.5 billion.

The carrier expects to take delivery of the jets in batches between 2028 and 2032, pending shareholder and government approval.

The airline said the deal aligns with its long-term capacity needs and will help optimize its fleet structure.

The announcement follows similar moves by smaller domestic airlines on Monday and Tuesday, bringing the total value of orders disclosed during the two days to nearly $18 billion at catalog rates, though airlines typically negotiate significant discounts for bulk purchases.

On Monday, Spring Airlines and Juneyao Airlines announced plans to buy a combined 55 A320 series jets.

Spring Airlines, the country's largest budget carrier, plans to buy 30 A320neo jets for up to $4.1 billion. Juneyao Airlines committed to 25 A320 series planes valued at $4.1 billion. Both carriers also target a delivery window of 2028 to 2032.

Separately on Tuesday, regional carrier China Express Airlines said it plans to purchase three A320 series jets in a deal valued at around $380 million.

The orders underscore the dominance of the European company's single-aisle jets in China, a market Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury recently noted would require more than 9,500 new aircraft during the next two decades, which is around one-fifth of global demand.

Faury told Chinese media in October the A320 family, which competes with Boeing's 737 series, has become the world's best-selling single-aisle aircraft.

According to Airbus, the A320neo uses 20 percent less fuel than previous generations, significantly reducing costs and emissions.