Airbus has started equipping A320 fuselages with a China-based partner as a boost to the production of the jets in China.
The European-based aircraft manufacturer launched a partnership with Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) as it boosts its supply chain in China.
Under the agreement, Xi’an Aircraft International Corporation (XAT) will equip the fuselages to help fulfill the requirements of the Airbus A320 Final Assembly Line Asia located in Tianjin. Large parts and the internal system components of the A320 fuselage will be first transported to Europe to Tianjin before the assembly takes place.
First opened in 2008, Airbus’s A320 Final Assembly Line Asia in Tianjin was the first assembly line facility opened for Airbus outside of Europe. It is part of the aircraft manufacturer’s strategy in the major market of China and Asia. The facility has assembled and delivered more than 500 A320 jets from the facility as of the end of 2020.
Airbus and XAT plan to deliver the first China-equipped fuselage in the third quarter of the year. Both companies aim to have a maximum annual production capacity of 72 aircraft in Tianjin by the year 2024.
“We have many localization projects in China, and this is an important project amid the cooperation with China and Europe,” Airbus China COO Michel Tran Van was quoted saying on the Global Times.
According to Airbus, there are around 200 suppliers in China providing support for its commercial aircraft production. The company has an annual spending of around USD $1 billion within the country.
Along with the A320 production in China, Airbus also has a A330 Completion and Delivery Center in Tianjin which was opened in 2017.
Leave a comment