Air TransportChinese airlines are reportedly in advanced talks with Airbus to secure orders for up to 300 narrowbody and widebody aircraft, according to Bloomberg.
The potential deals are expected during a visit by European leaders to China in July, people familiar with the matter told the outlet.
The carriers involved were not named in the report, but are understood to be the main trio of Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines.
The three state-owned carriers currently have just over 200 Airbus planes pending delivery, out of 300 jets associated with Chinese customers.
All of them are from the A320neo family, with the exception of four A350s ordered by Sichuan Airlines. However, there are no orders for the A330neo or the A220 to date.
China has held back many orders in recent years, amid security concerns and also due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the meantime, the country has moved forward with the production of commercial aircraft manufactured by the state-owned company COMAC, the C909 (ex-ARJ21) and the C919, in the category of the A320neo and the Boeing 737 MAX, however, the production rate is still very low.
In addition, COMAC is developing the C929, a widebody similar to the 787 Dreamliner, however, it is not expected to enter service this decade.
Tariff war
It is understood that the potential orders, in addition to filling the gap of recent years, will also be a response to the Trump administration, which instituted high tariffs on Chinese products.
Although the two countries have established a truce, the US has suspended the delivery of engines for COMAC aircraft, among other sanctions. In this context, Boeing has been receiving bad news from China, where it has not been able to secure new deals for several years.
Officially, there are 128 aircraft from Chinese customers to be delivered, 21 of which are 777-9s destined for Cathay Pacific, from Hong Kong. The list is dominated by the 737 MAX, with 95 aircraft, followed by the 787 with 11 and just one 777F freighter, in addition to the 777-9 already mentioned.
