Days after Air China placed an order for a hundred C919 jets, another Chinese carrier announced plans to order the aircraft from COMAC.
China Southern Airlines (CSA), based in Guangzhou, in the south of the country, released a statement that it will also purchase 100 C919 jets.
The value of the agreement should reach US$10 billion in list values.
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Like China Eastern Airlines and Air China, CSA is also controlled by the Chinese government and a significant order for the new single-aisle aircraft was a matter of time.
China Southern has 26 ARJ21 regional jets, also supplied by COMAC, but had not yet placed any smaller orders for the C919, like its local rivals.
Five C919s currently in service
With more than 660 aircraft in its fleet, China Southern Airlines operates 318 A320 family jets and 208 Boeing 737s, including 28 737 MAX 8s.
Currently, there are only five C919s in active service, all with China Eastern Airlines, the aircraft’s launch customer, which placed an order for 100 jets last September.
It was followed by Air China which last week reached a deal for a hundred C919s, in addition to a first order for six aircraft closed in December.
Deliveries of China Southern Airlines aircraft will begin in 2024 and will continue until 2031.
The C919 has a size and performance similar to the A320neo and the 737 MAX 8.
