AVIATION INNOVATORS: AIRBUS
Philippine Airlines (PAL) will operate its A350-900s on non-stop flights from Manila to the U.S. west coast and New York, as well as on services to new destinations in Europe
Looking to
the East by
I
MELISSA SILVA
n the past few months, Airbus has been making significant strides in its internationalization efforts and partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region. One such stride is the construction that has begun for the development of Airbus’ A330 Widebody Completion and Delivery Centre in Tianjin, China. Last month, Airbus announced the additional steps the company was taking in the expansion of its global footprint and strategic partnership with China as construction got underway for the A330 Completion and Delivery Centre (C&DC). The A330 C&DC will be co-located at the same site as the Airbus Tianjin A320 Family Final Assembly Line and the Airbus Tianjin Delivery Centre. “The ground breaking ceremony for the A330 C&DC in Tianjin marks a new milestone for Airbus’ international footprint and underlines the strong cooperation with our Chinese partners,” said Fabrice Brégier, Airbus President and CEO in a release from the company. “This event is significant because the A330 C&DC in Tianjin is our first completion and delivery centre for widebody aircraft outside Europe. Airbus’ long-standing cooperation with China spans single aisle and now also widebody aircraft and we will continue to look for further opportunities in the future.”
With construction underway for a Widebody Completion and Delivery Centre in Tianjin, a joint venture agreement for airframe maintenance in Singapore and a Memorandum of Understanding with Philippine Airlines, Airbus is strengthening its leadership position in the Asia-Pacific region at an impressive rate
The A330 C&DC Tianjin will cover aircraft completion activities including cabin installation, aircraft painting and flight tests, as well as aircraft delivery and customer flight acceptance. The A330 Family aircraft to be completed at the A330 C&DC Tianjin will be assembled in Toulouse, while painting and cabin fitting will be performed in Tianjin. The release outlines that this latest development of Airbus’ cooperation in China supports the forecast for passenger air traffic in China, which is set to grow well above the world average of 4.6%. The average annual growth for the domestic air traffic market in China will be 6.9% and that for the international market is forecast to be at 6.8%. At present, the in-service Airbus fleet with Chinese operators comprises more than 1,240 aircraft (over 170 A330 Family and over 1,000 A320 Family aircraft), making the A330 the most popular wide-body aircraft in China.
Leading the way
Further strengthening its market leading position in Asia-Pacific in 2015, winning 421 net orders from 17 airlines and lessors in the region, Airbus represented 39% of the company’s net order intake last year for 1,080 aircraft.
In addition, a release for the manufacturer states that Airbus delivered 282 new aircraft to 40 operators across the region over the 12-month period, either directly or via leasing companies. This figure represents 44% of Airbus’ total output of 635 aircraft during the year, reflecting the region’s importance to the company. The regional results were announced by Brégier and John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer at the Singapore Air Show earlier this year in February. “The Asia-Pacific region has traditionally been one of our strongest markets,” said Brégier in the announcement at the show. “We expect this trend to continue in the coming years, especially in the widebody market where the A350 XWB is setting new standards in the 300 - 400 seat category.” Presenting the company’s latest forecast for the region, Leahy said that an annual increase in passenger traffic of 5.6% would contribute to a requirement for some 12,800 new aircraft valued at US$2 trillion. This represents 40% of global demand for 32,600 aircraft over the next 20 years, and includes almost half of all widebody deliveries worldwide and over a third of all single-aisle aircraft. “Asia-Pacific will continue to experience stronger growth than any other world
Airbus’ A330 Completion and Delivery Centre in Tianjin, China, the construction of which began on March 2, 2016, will be co-located at the same site as the Airbus Tianjin A320 Family Final Assembly Line and the Airbus Tianjin Delivery Centre
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