TIANJIN, CHINA —Airbus to break new ground with first European delivery of China-manufactured Jetliner.
Airbus is gearing up to deliver a jetliner manufactured in China to a European customer for the first time, leveraging its global production network amid challenges in delivering new aircraft to clients.
The A321neo jet, constructed for Hungarian budget airline Wizz Air, conducted its inaugural test flight on June 9. Airbus noted that its facility in Tianjin was capable of offering a production slot aligning with the customer’s expectations and the airline's expansion strategies.
Since its establishment in 2008, the majority of planes produced at the Tianjin facility have been delivered to Chinese airlines to meet the country’s surge in air travel. The factory has occasionally manufactured aircraft for carriers such as Malaysia’s Air Asia.
Wizz Air verified it was the recipient for the A321neo manufactured in Tianjin, refraining from further comment.
Airbus, headquartered in Toulouse, France, along with its American competitor Boeing, are grappling with supply chain and production issues that have decelerated efforts to enhance deliveries by both manufacturers. These problems have delayed new aircraft deliveries by several months in some instances. Airbus, which had to revise its delivery goal twice the previous year, aims to deliver 720 jets this year, primarily from the A320 family.
The aircraft manufacturer is also restructuring its factories as the larger A321 grows in popularity. Its Hamburg, Germany plant is concentrating on complex aircraft with three or more classes, and it is in the process of converting its A380 superjumbo assembly line in Toulouse to manufacture A321s, Airbus said.
In April, Airbus disclosed plans to double production in Tianjin by introducing a second assembly line. CEO Guillaume Faury indicated that the company aims to maintain a "strong presence with critical mass" in China, as well as in the US and Europe. Faury emphasized that having production lines distributed worldwide will provide Airbus with "surge capacity" to recover when one factory encounters difficulties.
