China Southern Airlines to buy 10 Airbus planes worth $2.27 bn

China Southern Airlines announced today it would buy 10 aircraft worth a total USD 2.27 billion from European aerospace giant Airbus, as a Chinese boom in air travel defies slowing economic growth.

The carrier, one of China's "big three" with the largest fleet by size, will take delivery of the A330-300 planes between 2017 and 2019, it said in a statement to the Shanghai stock exchange.

It was the company's second major purchase this month, following a USD 10 billion order for 110 planes from Boeing.

China, the world's second largest economy, is Asia's biggest aircraft buyer as a growing middle class takes to the skies in ever-increasing numbers.
 

Earlier this month China's budget carrier Spring Airlines announced plans to buy 60 aircraft from Airbus worth USD 6.3 billion at list prices.

State-owned China Aviation Supplies Holding Group signed a deal with Airbus at the end of October, pledging the purchase of 100 A320 aircraft worth USD 9.7 billion at list prices.