Aircraft

Airbus' successor to the A320 will be assembled entirely in Hamburg, as part of an arrangement to distribute workshare more fairly between the airframer's primary owner states.

The replacement for the A320 is not likely to enter service before the end of the next decade.

But a spokesman for Airbus says that EADS has "reconfirmed" to the German Government that the successor aircraft will be built at the Hamburg facility.

The agreement will restore workshare equity after the decision was taken to centre production of the A350 long-haul twin-jet at Toulouse, and comes as the Airbus governments are finalising negotiations on supporting the A350.

"Fair balance is paramount," says the Airbus spokesman, adding that the work distribution also depends on competitiveness.

© David Kaminski-Morrow

A320-family production is carried out at three sites: Toulouse plus the more modern assembly plants at Hamburg and Tianjin.

Airbus is turning out the aircraft at 36 per month, of which 17 are built in Toulouse, 18 in Hamburg and one in the new Chinese plant at Tianjin.

From October this rate will fall back to 34, with an "equal number" built in France and Germany, says the spokesman.

While the successor aircraft will be assembled solely in Hamburg, Airbus stresses that production of the A320 family will continue at all the current sites.