Air China has placed one of the largest Airbus orders of the year, telling the Shanghai Stock Exchange on July 17, 2026 that it will buy 55 aircraft worth about $12.44 billion at list prices. The deal covers 15 Airbus A350-900 widebodies for the flag carrier and 40 A320neo-family jets for its subsidiary, Shenzhen Airlines.
According to the filing, the A350-900s account for roughly $6.09 billion of the total and the A320neos around $6.35 billion. As is typical for orders of this scale, Air China said Airbus will provide “a substantial price concession based on the list price,” so the amount the airlines actually pay will be lower than the headline figure.
The financing is being handled separately by each carrier. Air China will pay part of the advance fee in installments, with the remaining balance settled on the delivery date of each aircraft. Shenzhen Airlines plans to fund its share through a combination of internal funds, commercial bank loans and other financing methods.
The purchase was agreed unanimously at a meeting of Shenzhen Airlines’ directors, but it is not yet final. The agreement remains subject to approval by shareholders, and clearance from the relevant government authorities is also required before it can take effect.
Deliveries are scheduled to be spread across the early 2030s. The 40 A320neo narrowbodies are due to arrive between 2029 and 2032, while the 15 A350-900s are expected between 2030 and 2032. Air China said the additional aircraft will help “optimize its fleet structure and supplement long-term capacity.”
The two aircraft families sit at opposite ends of the airline’s network. The A350-900 is a long-range, twin-engine widebody that Air China already uses on intercontinental routes, prized for its fuel efficiency and range. The A320neo family, meanwhile, forms the backbone of short- and medium-haul flying across China and the wider region, where Shenzhen Airlines operates a large domestic and regional network.
The order underscores how central the Chinese market remains to Airbus, which has repeatedly secured large commitments from the country’s big three state-backed carriers. The timing is also notable, with the announcement landing just ahead of the 2026 Farnborough Airshow, where fresh orders and delivery commitments traditionally take center stage.
For now, the commitment adds to a healthy backlog for both the A320neo and A350 programs, and reinforces Air China’s long-term plans to modernize and grow its fleet through the end of the decade and into the 2030s.
Sources: AeroTime, Simple Flying. Featured image: AI-generated by AviationShop. By Marco Bianchi.
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