China orders 150 Airbus jets worth $9.7b
(AP)
Updated: 2005-12-05 20:12

China ordered 150 Airbus single-aisle passenger jets on Monday in a deal worth some $9.7 billion at list prices, boosting European industry during a visit to France by Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.

French President Jacques Chirac (L) greets Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in the courtyard of the Elysee Palace in Paris December 5, 2005. China's Premier Wen is on the second day of a four-day visit to France. Airbus looked close to seizing a giant order for at least 100 single-aisle jets from China on Monday, in a boost for the Toulouse-based jetmaker on the second day of a French visit by Wen. [Reuters]

Top French and Chinese aviation officials signed the deal alongside a batch of other industrial orders following talks between Wen and his French counterpart Dominique de Villepin.

Other agreements include a deal between China and Eurocopter, the world's largest civilian helicopter maker, to produce a 6 tonne helicopter, and a 150-million-euro Chinese order for a high-speed Shitai railway link.

Both Airbus and Eurocopter are subsidiaries of European aerospace firm EADS .

China also ordered a telecoms satellite from Alcatel Alenia Space .

The jet deal comes a day after Airbus agreed with Wen to look at expanding the assembly lines for single-aisle aircraft outside Europe for the first time by building a site in China.

The A320 family of single-aisle jets comprises four aircraft capable of seating 107 to 185 passengers.