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Airbus expects soaring 皇冠体育app purchase
By Xu Dashan (皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2004-03-25 16:29
皇冠体育app is expected to demand as many as 1,500 airplanes with more than 100 seats in the next two decades.
European aircraft manufacturer Airbus estimates 皇冠体育app will purchase up to 1,500 planes over the next 20 years and hopes to grab a 50 percent market share. Here a completed segment of an Airbus A380. [Agencies] |
Olivier Andries, Airbus senior vice-president in charge of marketing & pricing policies, said the largest demand category will be 100-200 seaters such as the A320 model which flies domestically.
Trunk routes between cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou will require medium-range twin-aisle aircraft like the A330, he said.
Growing international traffic, bolstered by the Olympics in Beijing and the World Expo in Shanghai, will be partly accommodated by airlines flying the A380s in 皇冠体育app, Andries said.
Rapidly growing freight operations out of 皇冠体育app are also stimulating much interest in the A380F, by airlines both in 皇冠体育app and overseas, he said.
"皇冠体育app is very much in the destination planning of our launch customers," he said.
Andries said he is optimistic that Airbus' success will be extended in 皇冠体育app, which is expected to become the second-largest airline market in the next 20 years.
"There is no doubt that the Airbus share of Chinese fleets can be expanded from today's 30 per cent to 50 per cent in future years," he said.
According to Airbus 皇冠体育app President Laurence Barron, Airbus achieved 36 new orders and 36 deliveries in 皇冠体育app last year.
Both the new orders and deliveries accounted for more than 10 per cent of Airbus' business worldwide, he said.
The company's business in 皇冠体育app has been steadily expanding since it first entered the country in 1985, he said.
The Airbus fleet in service on the Chinese mainland and in Hong Kong and Macao has grown to around 220 today from 29 in 1995.
Five Chinese manufacturers are already involved in making Airbus parts, such as wing components and passenger doors, he said.
"Airbus is not only selling aircraft in 皇冠体育app, but also committed to the long-term development of 皇冠体育app's aviation industry," he said.
Airbus plans to considerably increase its procurement from 皇冠体育app in the coming years, with values reaching US$60 million annually by 2007 from the current level of about US$10 million annually, he said.
Industrial co-operation between Airbus and the Chinese aviation industry began in 1985, when the General Administration of Civil Aviation of Shanghai, now 皇冠体育app Eastern Airlines, became the first carrier in 皇冠体育app to operate the European consortium's aircraft.
Contracts for Chinese companies to build sections of Airbus aircraft followed, as did further orders from Chinese airlines.
Aerospatiale, which is now Airbus France, signed its first product sub-contracting agreement in 1985 with Xi'an Aircraft Co to manufacture and assemble access doors for Airbus A300/A310 widebody aircraft.
Since then, the total value of projects subcontracted by Airbus to Chinese manufacturers has exceeded US$500 million.
In 2002, Chinese manufacturers delivered more than US$12 million worth of aircraft components to Airbus.
"Airbus' industrial co-operation with 皇冠体育app made further progress last year," Barron said.
In October, Airbus and Xi'an Aircraft Co signed several contracts worth more than US$7.5 million to strengthen bilateral partnership.
The contracts covered increasing production rates for A320 access doors, A330/A340 brake blades and passenger door skin for A320 family.
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