Air TransportChina Airlines has reduced previously planned acquisitions of Airbus A350-900 and A321neo aircraft, according to a filing to the Taipei stock exchange.
The airline will now take three A350-900s instead of five, while its A321neo order has been cut from eight aircraft to two. The revision applies to an agreement disclosed in June last year covering a total of 13 aircraft.
China Airlines said the adjustment was made based on “strategic factors.” The change reduces the value of the A350-900 portion of the deal to about $1.2 billion, from nearly $2 billion.
The A321neo aircraft were originally expected to be supplied through a leasing arrangement, which is also reduced under the updated plan.
While abandoning the A350-900 is a logical move, losing aircraft like the A321neo is surprising given the enormous demand for the single-aisle jet.
Despite the cuts, the airline continues to hold orders for larger widebody aircraft. These include 15 Airbus A350-1000s following an additional order placed in December, as well as a Boeing order announced in May 2025 covering 10 777-9 passenger aircraft and four 777-8 freighters.
