European aviation giant Airbus is likely to establish a final
assembly line for single-aisle aircraft in China this year, Airbus
said in a press release yesterday.
It is working with China's government departments and companies
to conduct a feasibility study, Airbus President and Chief
Executive Officer Gustav Humbert said.
"If everything goes well, the company is expected to make the
decision on building the assembly line plant in China in the middle
of this year," Humbert said.
The result would be an Airbus-dominated joint venture with a
planned production capacity of four single-aisle A320 series
aircraft every month.
The A320 family, comprising A319s, A320s and A321s, are
medium-range, single-aisle, twin-engine jets capable of carrying up
to about 180 passengers. The aircraft have been the European
company's most popular models since they were put into service in
1988.
China has stated its ambitions to build large passenger jets by
2020 although it is still struggling to develop a market for
domestically built jets with a seating capacity of 70 to 90.
China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC
I), one of the nation's major aircraft manufacturers, declined
to comment on the program.
Currently, five affiliates of AVIC I and AVIC II are producing parts for
Airbus aircraft.
As part of the wide-ranging accords signed by Premier Wen
Jiabao during a visit to France in December, Airbus clinched an
order of 150 A320 jets worth nearly US$10 billion.
Airbus also offered China a 5 percent stake in its A350 aircraft
program. The A350 is the company's response to Boeing's new
generation 787 "Dreamliner" passenger jets.
"China boasts a vast aviation market, so intensifying
partnership with China is of great significance," Humbert said.
China is acknowledged as the world's fastest-growing aviation
market and is a major battleground for the world's two aerospace
giants, Boeing and Airbus.
Airbus' main focus this year is to have a greater presence in
the marketplace through major, regional and start-ups, according to
Laurence Barron, Airbus senior vice-president and Airbus China
president.
He said Airbus hoped to have 50 percent of the China market
before 2013.
Boeing currently dominates the Chinese market with 67 percent,
while Airbus holds 29 percent.
(China Daily January 24, 2006)