Chinese airlines are reportedly considering a massive order of Airbus narrowbody and widebody aircraft, with the possibility of expanding the deal to as many as 500 jets.
Amid trade tensions with the United States, China is reportedly considering ordering hundreds of aircraft from Airbus, according to Bloomberg News. It could be the largest orders ever placed with as many as 500 narrowbody and widebody aircraft.
The order could be finalized next month during a celebration of 50 years of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union. The ongoing negotiations have started during Xi Jinping’s visit to Paris in April 2024.
According to several sources cited by Bloomberg, the order could be for 200 to 500 narrow-body and wide-body aircraft. At this stage, both Airbus and the Civil Aviation Administration of China declined to comment.
A message to Donald Trump?
Also according to Bloomberg, European leaders including Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz could travel to Beijing in July to celebrate 50 years of relations between China and the EU. A possible announcement of a large-scale Airbus order on this occasion would send a powerful message to Donald Trump amid trade tensions, particularly between Beijing and Washington.
In April, China ordered its airlines to stop taking deliveries of Boeing planes in response to US tariffs. They resumed since.
Airbus final assembly line in Tianjin, China
Airbus has established a significant manufacturing presence in China, centered around its Final Assembly Line Asia (FALA) in Tianjin. This facility, inaugurated in 2008, was Airbus’s first commercial aircraft assembly line outside Europe and plays a pivotal role in the company’s global production network.
Located in Tianjin’s Free Trade Zone, the FALA assembles aircraft from the A320 family, including the A319, A320, and A321 models. Since its first delivery in 2009, the Tianjin facility has delivered over 700 A320 family aircraft, highlighting its importance in meeting the demand of the Chinese and broader Asian markets
