Update, 8 November 2026, 15:01
AeroTime reports that the 101 aircraft covered by the engine selection comprise A320neo, A321neo and A321XLR models, a breakdown not previously confirmed in our coverage of the deal.
China Eastern has signed a contract selecting CFM International LEAP-1A engines for its 101 newly ordered Airbus A320neo-family aircraft, deepening a commercial relationship that stretches back four decades. The deal was concluded on 6 November at the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, according to aviacionline and Air Data News.
What the Contract Covers
Covered under the deal are 202 LEAP-1A engines, a package of spare engines and long-term service support, as aviacionline and Air Data News report. No financial terms were made public, Air Data News notes. A further agreement, covering 14 additional spare engines across the LEAP-1A, LEAP-1C and CFM56-7B variants, was also signed, Air Data News reports.
China Eastern placed the order for the 101 A320neo-family aircraft in March, at a list-price value of approximately US$15.8 billion, according to aviacionline and Air Data News. The engines will be handed over in tranches running from 2028 through to 2032, with aviacionline reporting that nine aircraft are due in the first year, with the programme reaching its high point of 30 in 2030.
China Eastern's Relationship Spanning Four Decades
The roots of China Eastern's relationship with CFM stretch back to 1985, when China Eastern Yunnan took receipt of its first Boeing 737-300, which was powered by CFM56-3C engines, a transaction that established the carrier as the manufacturer's earliest customer in mainland China, according to aviacionline and Air Data News.
Weiming Xiang, president of CFM Greater China, said: "With this agreement, we are building on a relationship spanning more than four decades."
That relationship has since grown considerably. In total, the airline now flies more than 380 A320ceo and 737NG aircraft on CFM56 power, together with 215 A320neo and A321neo aircraft already equipped with LEAP-1A engines, according to aviacionline and Air Data News. The LEAP-1B powers the carrier's Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, while the COMAC C919 fleet is fitted with LEAP-1C engines, as aviacionline and Air Data News note.
CIIE Has Become a Signing Ground
This is not the first major CFM agreement China Eastern has concluded at the CIIE. At the eighth edition of the expo in 2025, the airline signed a US$615 million agreement covering LEAP-1A engines and related services, according to aviacionline and Air Data News. The annual Shanghai expo has clearly become a productive forum for the two parties.
He Xiaoqun, executive vice president of China Eastern, set out what the airline expects from the partnership: "the success of an airline depends not only on the reliability and fuel efficiency of its engines, but also on reliable support and reliable services."
CFM's LEAP Programme at a Glance
The LEAP family has built up a substantial operational record over its first decade in service. According to aviacionline, CFM has handed over more than 10,000 LEAP engines since entry into service, with the combined fleet accumulating in excess of 100 million flight hours. CFM is additionally bringing in a durability kit aimed at the high-pressure turbine to increase time on wing, aviacionline adds.
Air Data News reports that China Eastern began operating the COMAC C919 as the type's inaugural operator in 2023, a domestic narrowbody drawing on CFM power through the LEAP-1C engine. The result is that the carrier now operates all three LEAP variants across its fleet, a degree of commonality with clear practical consequences for training, maintenance and the management of spare parts.
You can explore China Eastern's fleet and route network using our Airline Search tool.
The Bottom Line
China Eastern's selection of the LEAP-1A for its next batch of Airbus narrowbodies underlines how deeply the carrier is committed to CFM across a fleet spanning three variants from the same engine family. The programme runs through to 2032 and comes bundled with long-term service support, marking this out as a strategic alliance rather than a routine procurement. Given the scale of the existing CFM56 and LEAP installed base at the airline, the ties between the two organisations will continue to shape China Eastern's operations well into the next decade.
This article draws on reporting by aviacionline and Air Data News.
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