EU leverages Airbus sales to China amid C919 certification delays

China Eastern Airlines ordered 25 A330neo jets from Airbus last month, valued at a catalogue price of US$9.35 billion. This follows another Airbus order placed just three months earlier. The airline also operates the inaugural commercial routes of the C919, China's home-grown passenger jet. The EU's delayed certification of Chinese planes, combined with these large Airbus orders, suggests a strategy of leverage rather than inconsistency. The EU appears to be using aircraft sales as a tool to influence long-term goals, balancing economic cooperation with competitive pressures.