China orders 150 A320s from Airbus worth $10 billion
Bringing relief from its A380 superjumbo saga, Airbus Wednesday received its largest-ever order in China when China Aviation Supplies Import and Export Group Corp. (CASGC) signed a purchase agreement for 150 A320 aircraft and options for 20 A350 extra widebody planes.
Reports value the firm orders for the A320s at $10 billion. The signing ceremony was held in Beijing in the presence of the Chinese President Hu Jintao and French President Jacques Chirac.
A new Airbus assembly plant in the north China city of Tianjin will produce some of the A320s in 2009 with a planned production of four planes per month from 2011.
Since its establishment in 2002, CASGC has signed commitments for 519 aircraft for Chinese airlines.