- 160 new aircraft for China Airlines
Beijing: «Gulf»
Airbus signed an agreement with Aerospace Industry Corporation of China during the French delegation’s visit to China. Airbus CEO Guillaume Fiore signed with Tianjin Free Trade Investment Company Limited and China Aerospace Industry Corporation Limited, an agreement to expand final assembly capacity for the A320 family by developing a second line for the company in Tianjin, China. The signing was witnessed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron. The agreement also aims to contribute to increasing the production rate of Airbus globally to reach 75 aircraft per month by 2026.
Airbus currently has four final assembly sites for the A320 family worldwide, including Hamburg in Germany, Toulouse in France, Mobil in the USA and Tianjin in China. The final assembly line in Tianjin began operating in 2008 and has assembled more than 600 A320 family aircraft to date. The first A321neo from this production line was delivered in March 2023, marking a new phase in production operations for the A320 family around the world.
- aviation supplies
Airbus also signed an agreement with China Aviation Supplies Holding Company that aims to allocate 160 commercial aircraft to China Airlines. The agreement follows the announcement of the pre-order of 150 A320 family and 10 A350-900 family aircraft, reflecting strong demand across all market segments from Chinese airlines.
China’s air traffic is expected to grow by 5.3% annually over the next 20 years, much faster than the global average of 3.6%. This will lead to more than 8,420 commercial and freighter aircraft being ordered between now and 2041, representing more than 20 percent of the total global demand for around 39,500 new aircraft in the next 20 years.
- Intensify cooperation
In line with the company’s own sustainability strategy, Airbus and China National Fuel Group signed a memorandum of understanding to intensify Sino-European cooperation on production and formulation of common standards for sustainable aviation fuels. Earlier in September 2022, the two companies teamed up to support commercial flights and deliveries in China to be powered by sustainable aviation fuel. The two companies succeeded in delivering 17 aircraft by the end of March. The new cooperation agreement also aims to improve the supply chain for the use of sustainable aviation fuel by diversifying sources and enhancing its production to reach its use by 10% by 2030. Guillaume Fiore said: “We are honored to continue cooperation aimed at supporting the growth of the Chinese civil aviation sector, which expectations indicate The aviation sector has developed significantly and sustainably through the latest Airbus aircraft, which are characterized by their high efficiency. We are also proud of our partnerships with various Chinese entities in the aviation sector, and we are proud of their confidence in our contribution to shaping the future of the aviation sector in China.”
Airbus’s presence in the Chinese market dates back nearly 40 years, after the A310 was first delivered to China Eastern Airlines in 1985. By the end of the first quarter of 2023, Airbus’ service fleet in China had grown to more than 2,100. aircraft, accounting for more than 50 per cent of the market.
