Airbus has announced agreements for the supply of 150 narrowbodies and 20 A350XWB widebodies to China on the day that also signed its long-awaited agreement with the country to create a final-assembly line in Tianjin.
In a statement the manufacturer says: “China Aviation Supplies Import and Export Group Corporation (CASGC) signed a general terms agreement (GTA) for the purchase of 150 A320 family aircraft and a letter of intent (LOI) for 20 A350XWB aircraft with Airbus in
It adds that the agreements were signed by CASGC president Li Hai and Airbus president and co-chief executive Louis Gallois in the presence of Chinese president Hu Jintao and visiting French president Jacques Chirac.
No further details were initially given.
The Tianjin final-assembly line is now scheduled to begin production in early 2009.
The agreement follows confirmation earlier this year from Airbus and
Gallois and Chinese consortium representative Feng Zhijiang officially signed the agreement in
The contract is subject to formal approval from EADS’s board of directors and the Chinese government. The assembly line is scheduled to begin production in early 2009, with production rates expected to reach four A320s a month by 2011.
“While the aircraft sections will continue to be produced in Europe, the establishment of such an assembly line, which will deliver aircraft to the same standards as those produced in Europe, is beneficial to both
Tianjin is located a few hours’ drive from Beijing and is one of only four cities in China that reports directly to the Chinese government at a national rather than provincial level.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
