Air China has signed an agreement with Airbus to purchase 60 A320neo family aircraft, marking one of the largest single narrowbody orders announced by a Chinese airline in 2025.
The Air China deal caps a late-December order bonanza for Airbus in China, as multiple airlines and leasing companies have disclosed large narrowbody deals in the final days of 2025.
The purchase, disclosed in a regulatory filing on December 30, 2025, values the aircraft at approximately $9.5 billion at list prices, although airlines typically receive discounts. The order includes 60 A320neo aircraft and will be split between Air China and a wholly owned subsidiary.
Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2028 and continue through 2032, according to the filing. Air China said the aircraft will support fleet renewal and capacity growth while helping reduce fuel consumption and emissions compared with older-generation narrowbody jets.
The A320neo family has become the backbone of short- and medium-haul fleets worldwide, offering improved fuel efficiency, lower operating costs, and extended range. Powered by either CFM International LEAP-1A or Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines, the aircraft typically delivers double-digit fuel-burn reductions versus previous-generation A320ceo models.
For Air China, the order reinforces a broader trend among Chinese carriers toward modernizing narrowbody fleets as domestic and regional travel demand continues to recover. China remains one of the largest and most strategically important markets for Airbus, particularly in the single-aisle segment, where European manufacturers have historically maintained a strong foothold.
The Air China deal follows a cluster of late-December Airbus narrowbody announcements in China. Low-cost carrier Spring Airlines and privately owned Juneyao Airlines both disclosed plans on December 29, 2025, to acquire A320-family aircraft, together totaling more than 50 jets, pending regulatory approvals. Separately, China Aircraft Leasing Group said it had agreed to purchase 30 A320neo aircraft for delivery through 2033.
Air China currently operates a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft across its short-, medium-, and long-haul networks. The airline has not specified whether the newly ordered aircraft will be allocated primarily to domestic routes or regional international services, but narrowbody aircraft play a central role in feeding traffic to its long-haul hubs in Beijing and Chengdu.
The deal adds to Airbus’ already substantial A320neo backlog, which stands at more than 8,000 aircraft globally. The manufacturer continues to ramp up production toward a target of 75 A320-family aircraft per month later this decade, though supply-chain constraints remain an industry-wide challenge.
Neither Air China nor Airbus disclosed financial terms associated with the agreement.
