Business / Companies

China signs deal for 70 Airbus SAS aircraft

By A330 (China Daily) Updated: 2014-03-28 08:45

More aircraft means busier aerospace, Li said, and that is why the government is limiting the growth of the fleet.

The orders and cooperation agreements signed by Airbus and China indicate the Chinese government is being practical about the aviation trade, he added.

Witnessed by French President Francois Hollande and President Xi, Airbus also signed agreements with Chinese parties to enhance their cooperation from final assembly line to air traffic management.

China signs deal for 70 Airbus SAS aircraft

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According to the agreements, Airbus and its Chinese partners Tianjin Free Trade Zone and AVIC have agreed to extend the successful joint venture to assemble A320 family aircraft in China for an additional 10 years from 2016 to 2025.

The final assembly line will expand deliveries to the whole Asian region and assemble the A320neo family from 2017 because its capabilities will be extended.

Airbus and the Chinese parties will jointly invite more major component suppliers to develop industrial projects in Tianjin in order to support the the formation of a competitive supply chain.

On the other side, Airbus Helicopters, formerly Eurocopter, also signed a joint agreement with China's Avicopter, the helicopter business unit of AVIC, for the production of 1,000 new-generation EC175/AC352 rotorcraft on Wednesday.

The EC175/AC352 rotorcraft is an equal share program between China and France from 2005 and the production is also shared equally, combining the capabilities of both companies.

"The production contract's signature will allow both of us to satisfy the Chinese and worldwide market needs in the medium helicopter segment," added Li Fangyong, AVIC executive vice-president. "This also puts Avicopter's production resources to work in the aviation industry's global industrial chain."

The AC532 and EC175 come from a common platform, but the AC352 is assembled and supported by Avicopter mainly for the Chinese market, while the EC173 is assembled by Airbus Helicopters for the worldwide market.

Initial deliveries to its first three EC175 customers are planned by Airbus Helicopters later this year.