Air China and its subsidiary, Shenzhen Airlines have placed separate orders for a collective 55 new aircraft on July 17, 2026. Deliveries are scheduled between 2029 and 2032.
Air China
Air China is the national flag carrier and one of the largest airlines in the People’s Republic of China, headquartered in Beijing. Air China operates a mainline fleet of over 530 aircraft, maintaining a diverse mix of Airbus, Boeing, and homegrown Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) jets.
- Airbus A330: 43 in service (including A330-200 and A330-300 variants).
- Airbus A350-900: 30 in service (with an order for an additional 15 A350-900s).
- Boeing 777-300ER: 28 in service.
- Boeing 787-9: 14 in service.
- Boeing 747: 10 total
- 747-400: Three in service.
- 747-8 Intercontinental: Seven in service.
- Airbus A321: 104 total (61 classic A321-200s and 43 A321neo jets).
- Airbus A320: 91 total (39 classic A320-200s and 52 A320neo jets).
- Airbus A319: 28 total (including the new A319neo variant).
- Boeing 737: 141 total (737-700, 737-800, and 737 MAX 8 models).
- Boeing 757-200: Six specialised configurations used for governmental and VIP routing.
The additional 15 widebody aircraft are scheduled to be delivered between 2030 and 2032.
Shenzhen Airlines
Shenzhen Airlines is the forth-largest airline in China, headquartered at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport (SZX). Shenzhen Airlines operates a total of 210 aircraft in its core mainline fleet, and features a balanced mix of single-aisle aircraft from both Airbus and Boeing for domestic networks, alongside several widebody models for heavy-traffic trunk lines and intercontinental flights.
Narrowbody fleet:
- Airbus A320-200: 72 aircraft.
- Airbus A320neo: 35 aircraft.
- Airbus A321neo: 8 aircraft.
- On order: The airline recently finalised an order for 40 additional A320neo-family jets to expand capacity.
- Boeing 737-800: 71 aircraft.
- Boeing 737 MAX 8: 16 aircraft.
Widebody fleet:
- Airbus A330-300: 6 aircraft.
- Airbus A350-900: 2 aircraft.
On July 17, 2026, parent company Air China finalised a major joint agreement with Airbus to purchase 55 new jets, directly allocating 40 brand-new Airbus A320neo family narrowbody aircraft to Shenzhen Airlines. Deliveries of the A320neo are scheduled between 2029 and 2032.
Benefits of New Aircraft
This expansion is projected to increase total airline carrying capacity by 7.1% for Air China group and 4.3% for Shenzhen Airlines over their baseline volumes. Expanding the combined fleet allows both carriers to defend their domestic market share against aggressive post-pandemic growth from competitors like China Eastern and China Southern.
The next-generation Airbus A350-900 and A320neo models also burn significantly less fuel and cost less to operate per seat-mile than the older jets they are replacing. Therefore, incorporating highly efficient engines supports Air China’s corporate commitment to China’s national carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals.
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