Airbus signs agreements for 68 planes

Airbus SAS signed agreements to supply 68 aircraft to three Chinese clients at the Aviation Expo China 2013 in Beijing, which opened on Wednesday.

The orders are all for the Airbus 320 family, including the A320neo, the new engine version of the existing A320 aircraft, the European aircraft manufacturer said.

It didn't disclose the value of the orders.

Two of the clients are new passenger carriers that have just been approved by the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

Qingdao Airlines, which was established in June in Shandong province, chose 23 A320-family aircraft to build its fleet.

The first delivery is expected in 2016, although the airline will start operating in 2014 with some leased A320 aircraft.

"As a newly established airline, we needed to do thorough research before making a decision on what aircraft to use to start operations and build up our brand new fleet," said Xiao Liyuan, president of Qingdao Airlines.

Zhejiang Loong Airlines Co Ltd, based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, signed a Memorandum of Understanding for 20 A320-family aircraft. That deal is subject to approval by the CAAC.

The third client is Bank of China Aviation Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Bank of China Ltd and the largest aircraft leasing company in Asia, which ordered 25 A320-family aircraft.

"The Chinese market will be the (world's) biggest in the next 20 years. We will continue to grow for sure," said Fabric Bregier, president and chief executive officer of Airbus, discussing this year's order growth in China.