China signs 300-plane order with Airbus

Agreement signed in Paris between (foreground) Airbus’ Guillaume Faury (right) and CAS’ Jia Baojun, in the presence of (background) visiting Chinese president Xi Jinping and French president Emmanuel Macron

Airbus has sealed a deal with China Aviation Supplies Holding Company for the purchase of 300 aircraft, as rival Boeing grapples with the 737 Max crisis after two fatal crashes.

The deal was signed Monday in Paris, witnessed by Chinese president Xi Jinping and French president Emmanuel Macron.

The order is for 290 A320 family aircraft and 10 A350 XWB family aircraft, reflecting the strong demand in all market segments including domestic, low cost, regional and international longhaul from Chinese carriers.

According to Airbus’ latest China Market Forecast 2018 to 2037, China will need some 7,400 new passenger and freighters aircraft in the next 20 years, representing more than 19 per cent of the total demand for over 37,400 new aircraft.

By the end of January 2019, the in-service Airbus fleet with Chinese operators totalled some 1,730 aircraft, of which 1,455 are A320 and 17 are A350 XWB planes.

source: TTG Asia