China said set to buy its first five A-380s

China Aviation Supplies Import and Export Group, China's aircraft importer, reported that Chinese regulators and unspecified airlines had reached a preliminary agreement to buy an undisclosed number of Airbus 380 aircraft, marking China's first orders for the double-decker superjumbo set to displace Boeing's 747. Agence France-Presse, reported that at least five were on the order sheet but a final formal agreement was being held up for political reasons, among them a longstanding ban on selling military equipment to China. The value of a five-plane order is reportedly US$1.4bn.