Airbus in talks to sell more than 100 widebody jets to China

Airbus is negotiating a major sale of A330neo aircraft to China, with talks gaining momentum since President Xi Jinping visited his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron last month. The largest Chinese airlines are considering buying more than 100 of the upgraded A330 models, according to people familiar with the matter. The terms are still being discussed and the timing is uncertain, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is confidential. The negotiations underscore the increasingly stark contrast between Airbus and Boeing Co. when it comes to doing business in China’s crucial aviation market as geopolitical tensions between the Asian nation and the US run high. An order of that magnitude would be significant considering it’s for a single type of jet across a range of carriers, and it’s been around two years since Airbus’s last China transaction. China has once again halted imports from US-based Boeing, just months after it had restarted following a five-year drought, as regulators review a cockpit voice recorder design already approved by their counterparts in the US and Europe. Meanwhile France-based Airbus benefits from its local investment in Asia’s largest economy, including a factory that builds the workhorse A320neo model and another that installs interiors in the A330, and was one of the key beneficiaries of Xi’s recent outreach to European leaders. A spokesman for Airbus declined to comment. Air China Ltd., China Southern Airlines Co. and China Eastern Airlines Corp. didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. <br/>