China Confirms Order of 140 Airbus Jets Worth $17 Billion

 

China has signed orders to purchase 140 Airbus planes for $17 billion, its state aircraft buying agency said on Friday.

The deal was agreed during German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to Beijing, the China Aviation Supplies (CAS) confirmed in a statement.

China’s “Big Three” state airlines in July pledged to buy a total of 292 Airbus jets, making it the biggest order at the time by Chinese carriers since the Covid-19 pandemic – and a breakthrough for Europe as Boeing remains partially frozen out of China.

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Boeing suggested it may have to make do without Chinese deliveries for some time amid the zero Covid policy and US-Chinese tensions.

Boeing, which has started reselling planes originally built for China, told investors on Wednesday it could reach its goals without the Chinese market, which usually represents a quarter of Western deliveries.

Friday’s purchase agreement includes 132 of the European planemaker’s A320 series planes and eight A350 planes, the company said.

• Reuters, with additional editing from Alfie Habershon

 

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