Airbus has secured a multibillion-dollar order for 101 A320neo aircraft from China Eastern Airlines, beating rival Boeing in a key market.

China Eastern Airlines said on Wednesday it placed a multibillion-dollar order for 101 Airbus A320neo aircraft, marking another success for the French company after it raked in big orders from Chinese airlines in December and amid uncertainties related to a widely speculated potential deal between its rival Boeing and Beijing. While the list price of the deal would be US$15.8 billion, China Eastern said Airbus had granted it “a significant price discount” which was “more favourable than the...