Airbus Finally Confirms This Order For 137 Aircraft

China Southern Airlines signed agreements to purchase 137 A320neo family aircraft from Airbus at a list price of approximately USD 21.4 billion, excluding discounts.

For the European manufacturer, it comes at a crucial point where its drive to ensure it continues to appeal in one of the world’s largest aviation markets persists despite ongoing competition from emerging COMAC and Boeing.

The order was disclosed in a stock exchange filing on 29 April 2026 and covers 102 aircraft destined for China Southern and 35 for Xiamen.

Order Details and When They’ll Be Delivered

China Southern Airlines’ portion of the latest deal includes a mix of A320neo aircraft, giving it the chance to optimize its fleet as it sees fit, whether for regional routes or high-frequency domestic routes.

For Xiamen, the aircraft are expected to be integral to supporting growth not just in its neighbouring Southeast Asia but beyond, and to complement the existing fleet build it’s been progressing.

Both airlines, despite the transaction coming in at a list price of USD 21.4 billion, did not pay that amount; rather, this is a combined catalogue price, important for publishing metrics. Airlines will always pay significantly less than that for their orders, especially for larger three-digit orders like these, and the exact discounts are rarely disclosed.

Delivery expectations are relatively quick, given the extensive backlog for the Airbus A320neo family, which is largely sold out through the next decade. China Southern will receive its aircraft from 2028 through 2032, and Xiamen Airlines will take on aircraft from 2029 through 2032.

A Need For New Planes

Given its size and a documented aging fleet, the push for new commercial aircraft orders has been a hot focus for China, and planemakers have been circling with bait, attempting to secure lucrative contracts in the hundreds to beef up their own backlogs.

However, dealing with Chinese carriers is far more challenging than with other Western carriers; these deals in China often take much longer and, at times, collapse at the final hurdle, thus securing them is big for planemakers and airlines alike.

The importance of getting contracts over the line is emphasized, especially as competitors such as COMAC, which are locally driven, are advancing jets like the C919, specifically aimed at rivaling Airbus and Boeing in this single-aisle market.

Either way, the new order addressed the need for a modern fleet with capacity that’ll shift the needle across these airlines’ network, while also mitigating rising maintenance costs and other environmental pressures. The A320neo family offers a 15-20% jump in fuel savings over previous-generation jets, thereby helping make China greener.