Almost 100 Airbus Aircraft Ordered

Airbus concluded the week with a busy signing session for new commercial aircraft orders from China, as airlines sign for a fresh wave of aircraft.

As Chinese airlines look to renew their fleets and rapidly phase out older types, the need to get transactions over the line has never been greater, and 2026 has seen hundreds of aircraft purchased.

In the latest transactions, the Airbus A320neo and A350 families were involved in multilayered commitments by state-owned airlines that had previously committed less heavily to new planes than their counterparts.

Hainan Airlines Buys The A320neo

Hainan Airlines was the first to place an order for new Airbus jets, agreeing to 40 A320neo family aircraft worth around USD 5.36 billion before typical discounts are applied.

The order, announced alongside another contract with Air China, is part of post-restructuring efforts and directly targets the domestic and regional renewal of operations by not only replacing older types but also delivering greater efficiency and lower operating costs.

These A320neos, once delivered, will primarily be used to strengthen Hainan’s presence on high-density domestic routes and on regional services around its hub and other Chinese cities.

The aircraft, equipped with new-generation engines and other improvements, are going to deliver 15-20% improvements in fuel burn over the older previous-generation A320ceo and 737NGs they’re replacing. Therefore, supporting sustainable profitability also means less strain on finances.

The new aircraft will begin being delivered towards the end of the decade and into the next, allowing the phase-out of older narrowbodies, all the while adding capacity on important growth corridors, including not only China but also Northeast Asia.

Air China Also Buys Airbus Jets

The other component of the contract received from China by Airbus, complementing Hainan’s, was with Air China and its subsidiary for A320neo family and A350 jets, valued at close to USD 10 billion at list price, with delivery across the late-2020s and into the early 2030s.

The airline will buy 55 jets in total, with a commitment to deploy 40 A320neo family jets to the Shenzhen Airlines subsidiary. At the same time, the overall package emphasizes the A350-900 for Air China’s mainline division.

These A350-900s will complement the airline’s existing commitment to the widebody and are part of a strategy to modernise the international fleet and bring new long-haul capabilities. A total of 15 jets have been ordered and will enable the phase-out of older A330s and 777s while reducing fuel burn and maintenance-related costs.

Taken together, the Hainan and Air China packages announced on the same day comprise almost 100 new orders from China and are on the back of other separate deals in the books by state-owned Chinese airlines throughout 2026.

China’s push for new commercial airplanes has been forced and put off for quite some time, until now, when there has been no choice but to lock down delivery dates as pressure mounts due to fuel burn and inefficiency.