China placed a large order on behalf of three of its biggest airlines for close to 300 jets from Airbus the first major commitment from the country to new planes since before the pandemic.

China’s re-emergence in the market for new commercial aircraft has been one of the most widely anticipated in the industry. The country, which typically purchases planes on behalf of its airlines, was one of the biggest and most important buyers of jets before the pandemic. Boeing has repeatedly cited China as critical to its own production growth plans.