Forty years after delivering its first commercial aircraft to China, Airbus aims to deliver thousands of aircraft in the coming years.
Today, the country has become the world’s second largest air transport market after the United States, and Chinese airlines operate more than 2,200 Airbus aircraft, accounting for 55% of the country’s market share.
The aircraft manufacturer announced that it is expanding final assembly of A320 aircraft in Tianjin with a second production line, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Once operational in 2026, the new facility will help double the production capacity of the A320 family in China.
Last year, about a quarter of the A320 aircraft assembled in Tianjin were delivered to airlines outside China.
In addition to Tianjin, Airbus has A320 Family final assembly facilities in Hamburg, Germany; Toulouse, France; and Mobile, Alabama, USA.
‘China is an important strategic partner for Airbus globally and we will continue to adhere to our business strategy of “in China, for China”,’ said George Xu, Airbus Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer.
Despite increasing trade friction globally, Airbus said its local supply chain in China has played an important role in protecting it from the uncertainties caused by the tariffs, and that its operations in China have not been particularly affected.
Last year, the annual number of Chinese passenger flights per capita was 0.6 times, and this figure is expected to reach 1.8 times per person by 2044. In the next 20 years, China will become the world’s largest aviation market, with demand for 9,570 new aircraft, accounting for nearly a quarter of total global demand, according to Airbus’ latest forecasts.
China’s civil aviation market experienced rapid growth this year and carried 190 million passengers in the first quarter, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
