Airbus has announced the construction of a second A320 family aircraft assembly line at its plant in Tianjin, China, with the aim of doubling its production capacity in the Asian country. The new line is expected to come online in the second half of 2025 and will help the company meet its goal of increasing the global A320 family production capacity to 75 aircraft by 2026, up from 45 aircraft per month produced in 2022.
The announcement was made during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to China, where an order for 160 aircraft from China Aviation Supplies Company (CASC) was authorized, including 150 of the A320 family and 10 of the A350 twin-aisle model. The Chinese government’s approval is necessary for CASC to inform Airbus that it can begin production of the aircraft. This order had already been announced last year and had been in Airbus’ order backlog since then.
The new production line in Tianjin is an important step for Airbus, as the Chinese market represents a large part of its order book and sales. The company has been present in China for more than three decades and is one of the largest suppliers of aircraft to Chinese airlines.
In addition, the construction of the second assembly line will enable Airbus to improve efficiency and reduce production costs. The expansion of production capacity will also help the company meet the growing demand for single-aisle aircraft in the Asia-Pacific region, which is expected to account for 42% of the global single-aisle aircraft market over the next 20 years. In summary, Airbus’ announcement to build a second production line in Tianjin not only reaffirms its commitment to the Chinese market but is also a key step in its global expansion and growth strategy.