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Airbus mulls building manufacturing plant in China
BY OUR AVIATION CORRESPONDENT
14th August, 2005: Airbus is planning to set up a manufacturing facility in China. Media reports said the move is planned to commemorate the European Aircraft manufacturer’s 20th year in the Communist nation this year. This is also part of Airbus’ bid to foster its growing ties with China. Airbus has not commented on the report which appeared in official Chinese media.
More than half of Airbus’ 3700 aircraft operating all over the world has spare parts made in China. The European aircraft maker has more than 200 planes in China since it started operations there.
This year alone, it has received orders for 59 aircraft from five Chinese airlines, accounting for around twenty per cent of its orders. Last month, Airbus had announced that Air China had signed a pact for buying 20 Airbus A330-220s. The aircraft are to be delivered from May 2006. China Southern Airlines has ordered five A380 aircraft. A380 is the largest aircraft in the world with 555 seats.
Airbus expects to sell 1,600 aircraft to China in the next two decades. China is also expected to get state-of-the-art technology to produce wings of the single-aisle aircraft.
It may be recalled that Airbus’ Beijing Engineering Centre was inaugurated in July by Dr. Gustav Humbert, president and CEO of Airbus. Significantly it was his first official trip since he took over the reins of the European aircraft maker, signalling the growing importance it attaches to China.
The Airbus technological centre in Beijing is expected to take a 5 per cent share of work of the Airbus A350 aircraft.
The first batch of engineers, who completed their training in Europe, has started working in the centre. By the end of this year Airbus would have around 50 engineers at the Beijing centre. The number is likely to grow 4 times by 2008.
The aircraft maker expects China to become a risk-sharing partner of a future Airbus programme for a new generation aircraft.
Risk sharing partner takes full responsibility of a part of the programme including design, manufacturing, investment and also shares profit.
BY OUR AVIATION CORRESPONDENT
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