China Eastern Airlines disclosed on Friday that it has reached an agreement to buy 25 Airbus A330neo widebody jets, with the transaction listed at a catalogue price of roughly $9.4 billion. The carrier made the announcement in a filing to the Shanghai Stock Exchange, and said the purchase contract was signed in Shanghai on Friday by representatives of both companies.
According to the filing, the aircraft ordered will be delivered in multiple shipments scheduled from 2029 through 2033. The airline described the purpose of the acquisition as twofold: to supplement future transport capacity and to replace and upgrade some of its current aircraft types.
The purchase covers the A330neo family of Airbus widebody aircraft and is recorded at catalogue pricing, the filing states. Delivery timing is specified only as occurring in batches over the 2029-2033 window; the filing does not provide additional detail on the exact phasing, financing arrangements, or any configuration choices for the ordered jets.
China Eastern noted the operational intent behind the order - expanding its capacity footprint while retiring or modernizing existing equipment - but the filing does not elaborate on which specific models will be replaced or the total number of aircraft that will be retired as a result of this transaction.
This notice to the Shanghai Stock Exchange serves as the formal disclosure of the purchase agreement between the two companies, reflecting the carrier's plan to add A330neo aircraft to its fleet in the coming years.
Context and implications
- The order is recorded at catalogue price, reported as about $9.4 billion for 25 A330neo aircraft.
- Deliveries are slated to occur in batches from 2029 to 2033, according to the filing.
- The airline intends the new jets to both expand transport capacity and serve as replacements for and upgrades to its existing models.
The filing provides a clear statement of intent and timing windows but leaves several operational details unspecified in the disclosure itself.