Air China orders 10 A330s, 10 A350s

Air China A330-200. Photo: By Rob Finlayson.

Air China confirmed it has ordered 10 Airbus A330s and 10 A350s and plans to use the aircraft to facilitate international expansion, according to a CA filing with the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Based on list prices, the 10 A330s are worth $1.96 billion while the 10 A350s are valued at $2.53 billion. CA noted it received a large discount from Airbus on the order, but declined to identify the exact price it is paying. The Beijing-based carrier selected Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines to power the A350s and Trent 700s to power the A330s. The engine deal is valued at $1.8 billion.

The 10 A330s are scheduled to be delivered between 2013 and 2015 while the A350s are expected to arrive between 2018 and 2020. CA said the 20 aircraft would lift its annual capacity by 3.41 billion ATKs, or 18.6% above its 2009 capacity.