China is in advanced discussions to place a major order for Airbus SE aircraft, with a deal potentially timed to coincide with a high-level diplomatic visit from European leaders next month, Bloomberg reported citing people familiar with the matter.
Officials are deliberating an order ranging from 200 to as many as 500 aircraft, spanning both narrowbody and widebody models, including the A330neo, the report said.
The size of the final deal remains fluid, and sources caution that talks may still collapse or take longer to conclude.
Airbus declined to comment, while China’s aviation authority has not responded to media queries.
If the deal reaches 500 aircraft, it would rank among the largest jet orders in aviation history and mark China’s biggest to date.
For comparison, Air India placed a landmark order in 2023 for 470 jets from both Airbus and Boeing, while IndiGo followed with a record-breaking 500-plane narrowbody order with Airbus later that year.
Strategic timing for a geopolitical message
The proposed order is expected to be unveiled during a July visit to Beijing by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The timing is symbolically significant: the leaders are marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between the European Union and China.
France and Germany are also the two biggest shareholders of Airbus.
Should the deal materialise, it would allow President Xi Jinping to send a calculated signal to Washington, where President Donald Trump is gearing up for another term and vowing to reset trade rules with China.
Airbus rival Boeing Co. has remained largely shut out of Chinese commercial aviation deals in recent years, despite being the largest US exporter.
Airbus gains from Boeing’s setbacks
Beijing’s preference for Airbus has deepened in the wake of ongoing US-China tensions and Boeing’s own troubles.
Chinese regulators halted deliveries of Boeing jets in April.
The rift dates back to the Trump administration’s first term and was exacerbated by the 737 Max crisis, when China became the first country to ground the aircraft following two fatal crashes.
Further damage was inflicted earlier this year when a door plug blew out mid-flight on a Boeing jet, triggering a renewed quality crisis and investigations.
Boeing has not secured a major commercial order from China since at least 2017, while Airbus has steadily gained ground.
In 2022, China placed an order for around 300 Airbus narrowbody jets worth an estimated $37 billion.
A boost for widebody demand
Insiders say widebody aircraft could feature prominently in the prospective order, especially as the backlog for twin-aisle planes among Chinese carriers continues to shrink.
The A330neo, Airbus’s smallest widebody, is said to be a likely candidate for the fleet refresh.
The deal would be routed through China’s state-run aircraft procurement body, which typically negotiates on behalf of domestic airlines.
If confirmed, the order would underscore China’s growing alignment with European aerospace interests, even as its relationship with the US remains fraught.
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