Airbus and China sign next phase of partnership

Airbus has signed new cooperation agreements with its Chinese aviation industry partners. 

These multiple agreements included the expansion of the A320 family final assembly capacity, with the installation of a second line at its Tianjin site. It also included the signing of a General Terms of Agreement (GTA) for the purchase of 160 Airbus commercial aircraft, covering the earlier announcements for 150 A320 family aircraft and 10 A350 widebody aircraft.

China National Aviation Fuel Group (CNAF) and Airbus also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to intensify Chinese-European cooperation on the production, application and common standards formulation of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).

China’s air traffic is forecast to grow 5.3% annually, significantly faster than the world average of 3.6%. As such, there will be a growing demand for at least 8,420 passenger and freighter aircraft between now and 2041.

“We are honoured to continue our long-standing cooperation by supporting China’s civil aviation growth with our leading families of aircraft. It underpins the positive recovery momentum and prosperous outlook for the Chinese aviation market and the desire to grow sustainably with Airbus’s latest-generation, eco-efficient aircraft,” said Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury.