Airbus Plans To Produce A321 in Tianjin

European aircraft manufacturer Airbus stated that it plans to expand the production capacity of its assembly line in Tianjin to A321 production, and expected to deliver the first A321 aircraft from Tianjin in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Airbus signed a framework agreement with its Chinese partners in Tianjin on Thursday.

Globally, Airbus has four A320 series assembly plants. They are in Toulouse, France; Hamburg, Germany; mobile, Mizu. Airbus is upgrading the industrial capacity of all its facilities to meet the growing demand for A321.

Currently, only Hamburg and Mobile have A321 delivery capabilities. The adaptation of A321 will carried out in Toulouse in the future. However, all Airbus A320 series assembly lines will eventually become A321-ready to cope with the increasing share of the aircraft’s backlog of orders.

Airbus said it plans to gradually increase the production speed of single-aisle aircraft. Currently, Airbus produces 45 single-aisle aircraft per month. By 2025, Airbus plans to increase the number to 65, and it estimated that A321 will account for about half of the total.

The A321 is a single-aisle aircraft that is longer than the A320. It can hold 20% more passengers than the A320 and can fly 8,700 kilometers with a full tank of fuel.

Michel Tran Van, Chief Operating Officer of Airbus China, said: “It expected that Chinese airlines will purchase more A321s in the future. Furthermore, delivery of aircraft models in Tianjin will make this process more convenient.”

“In order to have the production and delivery capabilities of the A321 and implement the necessary changes in Tianjin. The facility will undergo renovation work from July 2022. Furthermore, this will not affect the production capacity or productivity of the Tianjin assembly line,” said Chen Fan.

Next, about half of the production capacity will be used to meet the needs of A321, It will hire more employees for production work.

Airbus has operated the A320 Tianjin assembly line for more than 12 years. So far, it has delivered more than 500 A320 series aircraft to China Airlines and some Asian airlines in Tianjin.

“The latest developments show that Airbus has further recognized China’s assembly capabilities and its important role in the global aviation supply chain, as well as China’s investment environment. China’s huge domestic market also shows a huge demand for commercial aircraft,” said Zou Jianjun. Professor of Civil Aviation Management Institute of China.

According to the forecast of American aircraft manufacturer Boeing, China’s demand for single-aisle aircraft will continue to rise, and by 2040, nearly 6,500 single-aisle aircraft will be needed.

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