Air China (CA/CCA) is one of the three largest airlines in China, and is third-largest in terms of fleet size behind China Southern (CZ/CSN) with 714 aircraft and China Eastern (MU/CES) with 689 aircraft.
The airline was formed in 1988 following the Chinese government’s decision to split the divisions of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC Airlines) into separate airlines, one of which was Air China. The airline was initially given chief responsibility for intercontinental flights, but developed a more diverse range of operations as time proceeded.
The Air China fleet
As of February 2026, Air China has an active fleet of 533 aircraft, comprising a mix of narrowbodies, widebodies and regional jets. Let’s take a look at the fleet and identify the newest and oldest aircraft in service.
| Aircraft type | Number in fleet |
|---|---|
| Airbus A319neo | 6 |
| Airbus A320neo | 51 |
| Airbus A321neo | 43 |
| Airbus A319-100 | 30 |
| Airbus A320-200 | 39 |
| Airbus A321-200 | 61 |
| Airbus A330-200 | 15 |
| Airbus A330-300 | 28 |
| Airbus A350-900 | 30 |
| Comac ARJ21-700 | 35 |
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | 31 |
| Boeing 737-700 | 17 |
| Boeing 737-800 | 87 |
| Boeing 747-400 | 3 |
| Boeing 747-8 | 6 |
| Boeing 777-300ER | 28 |
| Boeing 787-9 | 14 |
| Comac C919 | 9 |
Widebodies
The newest widebody jet in the Air China fleet is B-32F1. This Airbus A350-941 was built in July 2023 as MSN 632. Based in Beijing (PEK), this aircraft operates daily flights to a mix of domestic and international destinations including Guangzhou (CAN), Milan (MXP), Chengdu (TFU) and Kunming (KMG). Air China has a total fleet of 30 Airbus A350 aircraft. The A350 fleet is joined by 43 Airbus A330 aircraft, as well as 28 Boeing 777-300 and 14 Boeing 787-9 jets.
The oldest widebody aircraft in service with Air China is B-2445, a 30-year-old Boeing 747-4J6 built in February 1994. Based in Beijing (PEK), this aircraft typically operates one return flight per day on high density domestic routes from Beijing to Shenzhen (SZX), Guangzhou (CAN), Air China has 3 active Boeing 747-400 series aircraft as of February 2026, the others are B-2447 and B-2472, which are utilized on similar routes. In addition to the -400 series, Air China also operates a fleet of 6 more modern Boeing 757-89L aircraft which are deployed on a mix of domestic and international routes.
Narrowbodies
New Chinese home-grown narrowbody jets join the fleet
The newest narrowbody jet in the Air China fleet is B-659K, an COMAC C919 built in December 2025. Based in Beijing (PEK), this aircraft operates frequent flights to domestic destinations including Xi’an (XIY), Changsha (CSX) and Chongqing (CKG). This aircraft is the newest of 9 COMAC C919 jets joining Air China following the introduction of the type.
Air China is also one of the most notable operators of the Airbus A319neo, the least-popular variant in the NEO family. The newest of these is B-32NX built in October 2025.
The newest Airbus narrowbody
The newest Airbus narrowbody aircraft in the Air China fleet is B-32PL, an Airbus A321neo built in November 2025. Based in Beijing (PEK), this aircraft operates to a variety of destinations including Nanjing (NKJ), Haikou (HAK) and Fuzhou (FOC).
The oldest Airbus narrowbody
The oldest Airbus-built narrowbody jet at Air China is B-5043 a 22-year-old Boeing 737-700 built in May 2003. This aircraft operates daily flights between airports including Hangzhou (HGH), Kunming (KMG), Nanning (HNG) and Harbin (HRB).
The newest Boeing narrowbody
In addition to Airbus narrowbodies, Air China also operates a mixed fleet of 126 Boeing narrowbody aircraft. The newest of these is B-233Y, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 built in June 2023. This aircraft is based in Beijing (PEK), and flies daily to destinations including Changsha (CSX), Shenyang (SHE), Zhuhai (ZUH), and Lanzhou (LHW).
The oldest Boeing narrowbody
The oldest active Boeing narrowbody aircraft in service with Air China is B-5043, a Boeing 737-79L built in May 2003. This is the oldest of 17 Boeing 737-700 series aircraft operated by the airline, and is currently based in Beijing (PEK). It flies daily to destinations including Guiyang (KWE), Yantai (YNT) and Jingdezhen (JDZ). In addition to the -700 series, Air China also utilizes a fleet of 88 Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
Regional jets
Air China operates a fleet of 25 COMAC ARJ21-700 regional jets. The newest of these is B-658F, built in January 2025 as MSN 10177. This aircraft operates daily flights, typically under 2 hours in duration, to airports including Hohhot (HET), Tongliao (TGO) and Xilinhot (XIL).
Have you flown on any of these aircraft? Let us know in the comments.
Cover photo: Derek Hellmann, JetPhotos.
