A couple of years ago, Indigo, India’s largest carrier, placed an order of 500 aircraft manufactured by Airbus – the manufacturer whose planes start with the letter A and the number 3. Only yesterday, Reuters published a report claiming that Airbus’ rival, Boeing- the manufacturer whose plane numbers start and end with the letter 7 – might be able to secure a similar order from IndiGo’s neighbor, China, a nation that helped develop what would later be known as the world’s emptiest airport.
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The hopes that Boeing would be able to sell as many as 500 aircraft in China was first expressed by Bloomberg last month. A delegation of U.S. lawmakers visited Beijing this month, and a U.S. Democratic Representative, Adam Smith, said in a press conference on Tuesday that China could commit to buying more Boeing jets.
China’s Busiest Airports and Airlines and Routes for September 2025: Aviation Market Overview
Taking newer Boeings to Chinese Shores
Image: byeangel | Wikimedia Commons
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Boeing has dispatched about a quarter of its exports to China. Let’s take a look at the ten of the busiest airlines in China and how many Boeing aircraft these airlines have in their fleet:
Top 10 Chinese Airlines (Boeing Fleet Overview)
| Rank | Airline | Total Aircraft | # Boeing Aircraft | % Boeing of Fleet | Boeing Types Operated | Avg. Age (by Boeing type) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Tianjin Airlines | 173 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — |
| 9 | Spring Airlines | 147 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — |
| 8 | Shandong Airlines | 183 | 161 | 88.0% | 737 | 737 → 11.5 y |
| 7 | Xiamen Airlines | 256 | 236 | 92.2% | 737, 757, 787 | 737 → 10.7 y; 757 → —; 787 → 9.4 y |
| 6 | Sichuan Airlines | 257 | 1 | 0.4% | 737 | 737 → — (historic only) |
| 5 | Shenzhen Airlines | 270 | 132 | 48.9% | 737 | 737 → 11.3 y |
| 4 | Hainan Airlines | 385 | 282 | 73.2% | 737, 767, 787 | 737 → 10.5 y; 767 → —; 787 → 8.9 y |
| 3 | Air China | 763 | 366 | 47.9% | 737, 747, 757, 767, 777, 787 | 737 → 11.6 y; 747 → 14.6 y; 757 → —; 767 → —; 777 → 11.5 y; 787 → 8.6 y |
| 2 | China Eastern | 951 | 248 | 26.1% | 737, 767, 777, 787 | 737 → 11.0 y; 767 → —; 777 → 9.7 y; 787 → 5.1 y |
| 1 | China Southern | 1,087 | 430 | 39.6% | 737, 747, 757, 767, 777, 787 | 737 → 11.2 y; 747 → —; 757 → —; 767 → —; 777 → 9.3 y; 787 → 8.0 y |
Photo:byeangel | Wikimedia Commons
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According to Simple Flying, the top 3 airlines in this list currently have a combined backlog of 567 aircraft, with “only 72 deliveries are still pending from Boeing across all three carriers“. The publication also said that China Development Bank Financial Leasing placed an order for 50 Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets last year, and that deliveries for this order were scheduled between 2028 and 2031.
At a press conference held at the U.S. embassy in Beijing, Adam Smith, a U.S. Democratic Representative was wary about how the two big powers needed to avoid the conflict:
“I think when you’re getting up into the hundreds close to a thousand nuclear weapons, it’s time to start having a conversation about it to make sure we understand each other and we don’t stumble into any sort of conflict…It’s been a while since Boeing airplanes have been sold here in China. We’d like to get that deal done….It’s a good company, good product, hope you get back to selling airplanes in China.”
Historical parallels of large aircraft orders
The table below is a comparative table of similar landmark aerospace engagements involving either Airbus and Boeing- the biggest aerospace manufacturers in the world:
| Year | OEM / Country | Transaction scale | Context | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Boeing–China (approx.) | ~300 jets with approximately $37 billion | The agreement covered 260 B-737s and 40 B-777s and B-787s | some orders canceled |
| 2023 | Airbus–India | ~500 A320s | Airbus reported that this meant “an order book now of almost 1000 aircraft well into the next decade“ | total number of Airbus aircraft order by IndiGo totaled 1,330 |
| 2015 | Boeing–Iran (pre-sanctions lift) | ~80 jets worth $16.6 billion | Fifty planes were of the Boeing 737 type and the other 30 were the Boeing 777 | According to Arab News, “Many US lawmakers have opposed the deal, accusing Iran Air of helping to transport troops and weapons to conflict zones around the region.“ |
| 2025 | Boeing–China (pending) | up to 500 jets | Thawing U.S.–China diplomacy | In negotiation; potential breakthrough |
Photo: Aeroprints.com | Wikimedia Commons
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Conclusion
Here’s a timeline of US China’s economic relations in recent times.
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The United States and China had previously threatened to impose tariffs exceeding 100% on each other’s products.
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In April 2025, both countries implemented tariffs of 125% on one another’s goods.
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In September 2025, the Trump administration reached a temporary tariff truce with China, agreeing to reduce the tariffs to 10%.
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The two nations later extended this reduced tariff rate until November 10, 2025.
Aviation enthusiasts are wondering if Boeing and China could get this deal through amidst a backdrop of the trade war these nations have been going through.