Airbus delivers first China-assembled plane

Jun 23, 2009, 8:48 GMT

   Beijing - Airbus delivered its first A320 plane assembled outside Europe on Tuesday, promising to push ahead with plans to produce planes in China that meet its global standards.

   The plane was delivered from the Airbus plant in the north-eastern Chinese city of Tianjin to the Beijing-based Dragon Aviation Leasing, the company said.

   'Our final assembly line here in Tianjin and this first aircraft delivery outside Europe mark an important milestone in our strategic long-term partnership with China and the Chinese industry,' Airbus president Thomas Enders said at the delivery ceremony.

   Dragon Aviation will lease the plane to China's Sichuan Airlines, which will use it Wednesday for its first scheduled flight from Beijing to Chengdu, the Sichuan provincial capital.

   The plane made a successful four-hour test flight from Tianjin on May 18. That was followed on Monday by a test flight of the second A320 assembled in Tianjin, which is scheduled for delivery in July to China's Hainan Airlines.

   Airbus said it has orders for more than 700 planes from Chinese customers, mostly for models from the A320 series.

   Its Tianjin assembly line is scheduled to deliver 11 A319 or A320 planes this year, with planned production of four aircraft per month by the end of 2011, the company said earlier.

   The assembly plant, opened in September, is a joint venture between Airbus and a Chinese government-backed consortium.

   Chinese state media last year said total investment in the plant was between 8 billion and 12 billion yuan (1.2 billion to 1.8 billion dollars).

   Air passenger numbers are forecast to climb by 10 per cent per year in China over the next decade.