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China signs deal for 70 Airbus SAS aircraft

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

China signs deal for 70 Airbus SAS aircraft 

A plane under construction at the final assembly line at an Airbus factory in Tianjin. [Photo/Agencies] 

Orders announced by Xi, Hollande on sidelines of presidential meeting

Airbus SAS received 70 aircraft orders from China during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to France on Wednesday, but the orders varied in both number and aircraft types from earlier speculation.

The orders include 27 A330 wide-body and 43 A320 family aircraft, Airbus' most popular narrow-bodied planes.

The fewer wide-body orders did not stop Airbus' cooperation with China on its wide-body program.

China signs deal for 70 Airbus SAS aircraft

China signs deal for 70 Airbus SAS aircraft

"Airbus and relevant Chinese parties will work toward demonstrating an interest in setting up a wide-body aircraft completion center in China that will include cooperation on wide-body cabin interiors with AVIC," Airbus said in a statement.

It will be the first time Airbus and Chinese companies cooperate on completing wide-bodied aircraft with customized interiors delivered to customers from China, but whether the program will become a regular one will be determined by the number of Airbus' wide-body planes flying in China.

The total value of the new orders is about $10.2 billion, according to the aircraft's catalog price.

The purchase agreement was signed by China Aviation Supplies Holding Co. It did not reveal which airlines the new aircraft will go to.

However, it was reported earlier that China would purchase many more planes from Airbus, especially more wide-body A330s.

The number would be at least 150 and cost $20 billion, Reuters reported earlier this month. A report from Aviation Week said the orders might be at most 200 A330 jetliners.

The approved order number shows that the fast expansion of China's civil aviation industry is turning from quantity growth into quality development, some experts said.

"China's aviation industry emphasizes quality currently, including punctuality," said Li Xiaojin, a professor at the Civil Aviation University of China.

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