China Eastern Airlines is continuing a major Airbus fleet renewal and expansion program. The Chinese carrier has signed an agreement to purchase 25 Airbus A330neo widebody aircraft in a deal valued at around $9.5 billion at catalogue prices, according to AeroTime.

The agreement was signed on June 26, 2026, and disclosed by China Eastern Airlines in a filing to the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Deliveries of the new widebody aircraft are scheduled to take place between 2029 and 2033.

According to the airline, the transaction will be used both to support future capacity growth and to replace and update existing aircraft types in its fleet. China Eastern also said the new aircraft will help optimize its fleet structure and route network, improve operational and service quality, and reduce unit operating costs.

The A330neo order represents an important widebody addition for a carrier that already operates a sizeable fleet of previous-generation Airbus A330 aircraft. AeroTime reports that China Eastern currently has an active fleet of 28 Airbus A330-200s and 24 A330-300s.

The new aircraft are therefore expected to play a dual role: providing additional capacity for future network development while gradually replacing older widebody aircraft.

The latest agreement comes only three months after China Eastern placed another major Airbus order, this time for 101 aircraft from the A320neo family. That deal, valued at $15.802 billion at catalogue prices, included A320neo, A321neo and A321XLR aircraft, with deliveries scheduled between 2028 and 2032.

With these two orders, China Eastern has confirmed a strong commitment to Airbus as it modernizes its fleet. While the A320neo family will support the airline’s short- and medium-haul operations, the A330neo will strengthen its widebody fleet and support further development of its international network.