(News Bulletin 247) – On the occasion of Emmanuel Macron’s visit to China, Airbus today announced the signing of new cooperation agreements with partners in the Chinese aeronautics industry.

The aircraft manufacturer indicates in particular that it has signed an agreement with Tianjin Free Trade Zone Investment Company Ltd. and Aviation Industry Corporation of China Ltd., to expand A320 Family assembly capacity at its Tianjin site through the installation of a second assembly line.

This agreement will contribute to Airbus’ overall rate target of 75 aircraft per month in 2026 across its global production network.

Airbus currently has four A320 Family final assembly sites worldwide, in Hamburg (Germany), Toulouse (France), Mobile (USA) and Tianjin (China).

In addition, Airbus indicates that it has signed General Conditions of Agreement (GTA) with China Aviation Supplies Holding Company (CAS) for the sale of 160 Airbus commercial aircraft.

Finally, Airbus and the China National Aviation Fuel Group (CNAF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to intensify Sino-European cooperation on the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and the implementation establishment of common standards for FAS.

This new cooperation agreement aims to optimize the supply chain, diversify sources and improve its production, with the objective of using 10% SAF by 2030.

Airbus recalled that over the next 20 years, Chinese air traffic is expected to grow by 5.3% per year, significantly faster than the world average (3.6%). This will lead to a demand for 8,420 passenger and cargo aircraft by 2041, representing more than 20% of total global demand over the next two decades.

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