Airbus is discussing new aircraft deals with Chinese airlines, state media said Wednesday.- Last week, Airbus unveiled a $37 billion deal to sell A320s to Chinese airlines, beating out
Boeing .
Airbus is reportedly in talks with Chinese airlines about a new round of jet sales, having just beaten fierce rival Boeing to a bumper $37 billion deal.
Global Times, the state-owned Chinese newspaper, reported Wednesday that Europe's Airbus was in "close contact" with Chinese airlines about a deal for its A220 aircraft.
Days earlier, Airbus unveiled one of the largest single-day deals in aviation history, to sell 292 of its A320 jets to major Chinese airlines — thereby beating firece rival Boeing to the punch.
The A220 is a narrow-body passenger jet that seats between 100 and 150 passengers, whereas the A320 variants carry around 200 passengers.
Global Times reported that Airbus was "seeking to further increase its footprint in the Chinese market." It said the planemaker held an event Monday to "promote the A220 for short-haul flights and vowing to tap the market potential in Western
Yang Xiaoyu, Airbus' head of flyable procurement in China and East Asia, told China Daily: "Among all Airbus aircraft models, the A220 boasts the highest number of Chinese elements." Yang said 15 Chinese suppliers "have been contributing to its manufacture, from providing raw materials and components to the assembly of big parts."
The $37 billion A320 deal was met with disappointment by Boeing, with a spokesperson telling Bloomberg that "geopolitical differences continued to constrain US aircraft exports."
Beijing responded by saying it was "natural" for the US to "feel sour" after losing out on the deal, via an editorial in the Global Times newspaper published Sunday. The editorial further suggested that US public opinion had been "flooded with jealousy" after Airbus sealed the deal, Insider reported.