A team of Airbus representatives is traveling to Beijing looking to close an $18 billion deal with the Chinese government, sources told Bloomberg, as the French aviation giant looks to grow its presence in what could soon be the world’s largest air travel market.
The order, which was first proposed back in January before the onset of China’s trade dispute with the US, will be on the agenda for talks involving Airbus CEO Tom Enders and head of commercial aircraft Guillame Faury, according to the sources. The executives will also commemorate the company’s 10th anniversary of its China operations during the trip.
The Chinese government negotiates deals with aircraft companies such as Airbus and Boeing via a central purchasing group. Boeing’s prospects in the market appear less rosy as China has threatened to apply 25% tariffs on imports of planes from the US.