Airbus has shaken hands with SkyTeam member China Eastern Airlines on a deal for more than 100 planes from its next-generation A320neo series of narrowbody twinjet aircraft. The deal is said to have been valued at more than $15 billion, with deliveries from this batch commencing within the coming years.

China Eastern Airlines is already a major operator of planes from the diverse Airbus portfolio, with both narrowbodies and widebodies from the multinational European planemaker at its disposal. This latest deal represents a significant vote of confidence in the manufacturer, which is seeing continued success in terms of major orders from Chinese airlines of late. China Eastern's most recent purchase also includes the Airbus A321XLR.

Another Big Win For Airbus

According to Euractiv, China Eastern Airlines has confirmed its purchase of 101 Airbus A320neo series narrowbody twinjets via a statement that the SkyTeam member filed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. These aircraft will be delivered between 2028 and 2032, as the airline continues to impressively expand its large and diverse fleet. While Airbus dominates at China Eastern, the carrier also flies jets from Boeing and even COMAC.

The deal is said to have been valued at $15.8 billion, representing a considerable financial step forward for Airbus in a country where recent years have seen it do more and more business. Indeed, Market Screener notes that, in December 2025 alone, Chinese airlines, including Air China, Spring Airlines, Juneyao Air, and China Express Airlines, as well as the China Aircraft Leasing Group, placed 148 Airbus orders. China Eastern explained:

"The specific delivery schedule may be adjusted based on actual circumstances, subject to mutual agreement between both parties."

Multiple Models Included

While the exact specifics of this multi-billion-dollar order are yet to be publicly disclosed by either Airbus or China Eastern Airlines, it is already known that the deal does involve multiple different models from the popular A320neo series. Indeed, coverage of the matter by Euractiv highlights the fact that the stretched-fuselage A321neo is included in this latest purchase agreement, as well as its long-range counterpart, the Airbus A321XLR.

Compared to the standard A320neo model, the A321neo has the advantage of being larger. Indeed, it measures 44.51 m (146 feet) in length, compared to 37.57 m (123 feet and three inches) for the standard A320neo, allowing it to seat a maximum of 244 passengers as opposed to 195. Meanwhile, a typical two-class configuration would see it accommodate a more reasonable total of 206 guests, compared to 165 on the A320neo.

The Airbus A321neo also beats the standard A320neo in terms of range, as it is able to fly for up to 3,650 nautical miles (6,760 km) compared to 3,500 NM (6,500 km) in the case of the latter. This figure rises to 4,000 NM (7,400 km) with the long-range A321LR variant, with the extra-long-range A321XLR posting a figure of 4,700 NM (8,700 km). This has seen the type unlock various 'thin' long-haul routes, as detailed in our coverage below.

Airbus Jets Dominate China Eastern's Current Fleet

According to present fleet data made available by ch-aviation, China Eastern Airlines currently has a grand total of 698 aircraft at its disposal. Of these, 45 are from COMAC, and 184 are from 👁 Image
Boeing, but Airbus is by far the dominant manufacturer, accounting for a whopping 469 (67.2%) of the carrier's jets. Widebodies play a relatively minimal role on this front, with just 30 A220-200s, 26 A330-300s, and 20 A350-900s in the airline's fleet.

Meanwhile, Airbus narrowbodies from both the A320ceo and A320neo families truly form the backbone of the current China Eastern Airlines portfolio. As far as the A320ceo series is concerned, the carrier presently flies 32 A319-100s, 139 A320-200s, and 74 A321-200s. However, the A320neo series is the future of China Eastern's narrowbody ops, with 121 A320neos and 41 A321neos at its disposal. With this order, these totals will only get bigger.