Air China (CA, Beijing Capital) has signed a firm order agreement with Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) for twenty A350-900s. The purchase is, however, still subject to Beijing's official approval.
A company stock market filing said the agreement allows for the last five aircraft in the order to be upgauged to the A350-1000.
Deliveries of the A350s will run from 2020 through to 2022.
Air China said it will fund the purchase from its own cash reserves, commercial bank loans and other financing methods.
According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, Air China currently operates ten A350-900s configured with 256 seats in economy, 24 in premium economy, and 32 in business class. The widebody jets are used on trunk Chinese routes connecting Beijing Capital with Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Shanghai Hongqiao, and Shanghai Pudong.
Internationally, they are used to serve Beijing Capital with London Heathrow, Milan Malpensa, Paris CDG, and Singapore Changi and Shanghai Pudong with Frankfurt Int'l, Milan Malpensa, Munich, and Tokyo Narita.