China edges closer to Airbus mega-deal, leaving Boeing out in the cold: analysts

South China Morning Post

14 hours ago

China may be on the verge of placing another lucrative order with European aerospace giant Airbus, potentially for at least 100 to 200 new aircraft – even as some Chinese airlines remain heavily reliant on US rival Boeing's jets.
Europe has emerged as China's go-to source for overseas commercial aircraft in recent years. Boeing, once a major supplier, has not secured a major order from China since 2017 – casting a
shadow over its future in the world's second-largest economy amid turbulent trade ties between Beijing and Washington.
In that time, the company has also suffered reputational setbacks marked by worker strikes, financial losses and crashes – including the recent
Air India disaster that killed at least 270 people aboard a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Now, as Beijing's geopolitical and aviation safety concerns push Chinese buyers towards Airbus and even the home-grown
Comac C919 passenger plane, analysts warn Boeing's absence from China's recent plane-buying spree could leave some airlines in the lurch.
'Buying from Airbus makes a lot of sense now, both commercially and diplomatically … But carriers with Boeing-only fleets are caught on the back foot,' said Brian Yang Bo, an aviation industry veteran and independent consultant.