Airbus has delivered the 100th A320 aircraft assembled at its Final Assembly Line China (FALC) in Tianjin to Air China.
Powered by IAE V2500 engines, the new A320 was delivered from the Tianjin centre on 25 September and comes three years after the first aeroplane was handed over to Air China in June 2009.
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The aircraft can accommodate 158 passengers; it has two typical classes, business class, which includes eight seats, with the remaining in economy class.
Airbus Customers COO John Leahy said the airline already operated a significant Airbus fleet and is a long-term strategic customer.
Air China will use the new aircraft on domestic routes, connecting Shanghai to other Chinese cities.
According to Airbus, the flag carrier currently operates 93 A320 aircraft, which is one of the biggest fleets in China.
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By GlobalDataOn 30 August, as a part of a series of Europe-China agreements, Airbus signed a framework agreement with Tianjin Free Trade Zone (TJFTZ) and the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), which are the two parties of the Chinese consortium that holds a 49% stake in the FALC joint venture.
The agreement was signed in order to continue cooperation for the joint venture beyond 2016, when the current agreement expires.
FALC is the third A320 final assembly line in the world, joining the ones in Toulouse in France and Hamburg, Germany. It is the first aircraft final assembly line outside Europe.
In July 2012, the European aircraft maker announced its plans to set up an A320 final assembly line in the US.
To date, 11 Chinese customers have taken deliveries from the Airbus Tianjin delivery centre and more than 700 A320’s are in service in the country.
Airbus has sold in excess of 8,600 A320s, of which 5,200 have been delivered to more than 370 customers across the world.
Image: The latest delivery of the new A320 comes three years after the first aeroplane was handed over to Air China in 2009. Photo: Airbus SAS.
