China Airlines announced a major aircraft order on December 19, 2024.
The Taiwanese carrier will split the order for long-haul passenger aircraft between the two major aircraft manufacturers, with 10 A350-1000 jets from Airbus and 10 B777-9 aircraft from Boeing. The carrier is also boosting its cargo fleet with an order for four B777-8F freighter aircraft.
When it comes to the engine choices, the order is also equally split between Rolls-Royce, which will power the A350-1000s, and GE, which will power the B777-9s.
The total value of the order is estimated at US$11.9 billion.
According to ch-aviation data, China Airlines has 14 Airbus A350 aircraft in its fleet as of December 2024, although all of them are of the smaller –900 version. The airline also operates earlier versions of the B777 family aircraft: 10 B777-300ER passenger aircraft and nine B777-200F cargo aircraft.
China Airlines faces competition in the long-haul international market from two other Taipei-based carriers, Eva Air, which placed an order for 16 Airbus A350-1000 in January 2024, and startup premium carrier Starlux Airlines, which operates A350-900 aircraft.