China Southern Airlines has ordered 100 additional C919 aircraft from COMAC, with deliveries starting this year and continuing until 2031, marking the last of China’s major state-owned airlines to commit to the same number of domestically produced narrowbodies.
The transaction for the C919s is denominated in US dollars but will be settled in Chinese renminbi/yuan through a combination of cash, loans, and other financial instruments, aiming to address growing demand for narrowbody capacity in the Chinese domestic market.
While the carrier did not specify if the new aircraft will replace existing narrowbodies or support growth, China Eastern Airlines and Air China have also placed significant orders for the C919, with the latter increasing its order from five to 105 in late April 2024.
China Southern’s current narrowbody fleet includes various Airbus A319s, A320s, and A321s, as well as Boeing 737s, with the addition of the C919s intended to meet capacity demand pressures in the domestic market.
