Airbus Sells Hundreds of Aircraft to China

Airbus Sells Hundreds of Aircraft

Airbus Sells Hundreds of Aircraft. The aircraft maker announced this week an agreement with China's state aviation holding company for the purchase of 140 aircraft. The agreement, signed during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Berlin, includes 100 A320s and 40 A350s, which will be assigned to the airlines by China Aviation Supplies Holding Co.

Officials at the French aerospace giant said the planes will serve low-cost, domestic, regional and long-haul international flights. Reuters reported that the deal would cost nearly USD 23 billion at catalog prices.

"This is great support for our leading single-aisle and full-body product segments," Airbus CEO Tom Enders said in a statement.

Airbus and its US rival Boeing continue to compete for their position in the Chinese aviation market, which is expected to help boost global passenger aircraft demand in the coming decades. Company officials said the number of airplanes with a capacity of more than 100 seats is expected to double in the next 20 years.

"China is today one of the most important markets in the world for aviation, and we are honored to support the development and rapid growth of China's civil aviation with our portfolio of competitive products," Enders said.

Airbus currently provides more than 1,400 aircraft for Chinese airlines, with the majority in the A320 family.