After the grounding of the 737 Max, Airbus has been grabbing marketshare from Boeing. Prior to the grounding, the market was evenly split between the two aircraft manufacturers. However, this year’s trade dispute between the U.S. and China has weakened Boeing’s market share. As a result, Airbus is moving quickly to increase production of its A320neo narrowbody jet.
The massive Chinese order is a win for Airbus and Boeing, both of which have been losing market share in Hong Kong. Historically, China has balanced its jet purchases between the United States and Europe. However, in this case, China’s state airlines will buy almost 300 Airbus jets by the end of 2022, requiring an expansion of the Tianjin completion center. This means the company has invested in its Chinese market and is seeking to maintain its lead.
The announcement comes amid a number of other announcements that show the Chinese airline industry’s confidence in the country. While the Chinese government has continued to impose COVID-related travel restrictions in the country, these new orders are indicative of a growing market for aircraft. In addition to the Airbus order, Air China and Shenzhen Airlines have signed lease agreements to purchase an additional 19 aircraft from Airbus.
This new order is significantly smaller than the catalog value, but it still represents an important milestone in China’s development of its aviation industry. The new aircraft will join the Chinese fleet of Airbus A320neo jets, and the local aviation community is looking forward to this. The A320neo family is the most popular aircraft on Chinese airlines, with the Airbus A321XLR being one of the most advanced.
The order is huge for China’s aviation industry, which took a big hit following the April Shanghai lockdown. But with the new orders, the airline industry has recovered steadily since. The recent crash of a Boeing 737-800 jet in March has helped to boost confidence. The company has been slow to react after the crash, but it appears to be confident in its future in the wake of this new deal.
In an unusual move, the Chinese government has approved the purchase of almost 300 Airbus jets by Chinese state-owned airlines. The deal was signed in December, after the Chinese government lifted the grounding order. The new planes will be used by China Eastern and Air China for fleet replacement and growth. China Southern and China Eastern will use the new planes to replace their fleet of 68 A320 jets, and are worth more than $37 billion at list prices.
The Chinese state airlines have announced a plan to buy nearly 300 Airbus jets by the end of 2022. The Airbus deal was announced in filings by state-owned Chinese airlines. The Chinese state airlines have also announced plans to buy up to 96 A320neos by 2023. The newest aircraft are expected to be delivered in 2022 and the order is worth about $37 billion.