Airbus delivers first aircraft from its new assembly line in China

TIANJIN, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Airbus on Wednesday delivered the first aircraft assembled at its new Final Assembly Line (FAL) for A320 family aircraft in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin, the second of its kind in both China and Asia.

The delivery represents a major milestone in Airbus' industrial footprint expansion in China and across its global industrial system, the company said.

China Eastern Airlines took delivery of the A320neo aircraft. Currently operating the largest Airbus fleet in the Chinese mainland, the airline in 1985 took delivery of an A310, China's first Airbus aircraft.

"The delivery underscores Airbus' long-term commitment to our Chinese partners and our confidence in the continuous growth of China's civil aviation market," said Philippe Mhun, Executive Vice President Programmes and Services of the Commercial Aircraft business at Airbus.

Mhun added that the second FAL in China, which was put into operation last October, is a critical facilitator for the company's global A320 Family ramp-up trajectory toward a production rate of 75 aircraft per month, and provides the necessary flexibility and capacity to meet strong market demand.