China buys 60 Airbus jets
Airbus has sealed a major new aircraft order from China.
In a deal signed in Beijing yesterday in the presence of French president François Hollande and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, China Aviation Supplies (CAS) agreed to purchase 60 Airbus aircraft, comprising 42 single-aisle A320-series aircraft and 18 twin-aisle A330 jets.
The General Terms Agreement (GTA) was penned at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing by Li Hai, president & CEO of CAS, and Fabrice Brégier, president & CEO of Airbus, as part of a series of Sino-French trade agreements signed during President Hollande’s trip to China. CAS is a state-run aircraft leasing and financing company which supplies aircraft to domestic carriers.
“We are delighted to receive a new order from our long-standing customer CAS,” said Brégier. “The A320’s high reliability and low operational cost has made it very popular with Chinese airlines. As congestion puts pressure on airports in large cities in China, the A330 is an excellent solution as larger aircraft can transport more passengers with less flights.”
By the end of March 2013, there were 750 A320-series aircraft in operation with 14 Chinese airlines and more than 110 A330s in operation with six carriers. Airbus operates a production line in China, with the Tianjin facility producing A320 aircraft for local airlines.