Airbus to use Tianjin as delivery hub

The Airbus assembly plant in Tianjin. The European aircraft manufacturer said it aims to make the northern Chinese port city its Asian hub and its final assembly line in Tianjin would start the second phase of operations in 2016. [Photo/AFP]

France-based Airbus SAS plans to make more direct aircraft deliveries to Asian carriers from Tianjin, a top company official said recently.

The European aircraft manufacturer said it aims to make the northern port city its Asian hub and indicated that the final assembly line in Tianjin would start its second phase of operations from 2016. This "opens the possibility of delivering directly to customers outside China", said Rafael Gonzalez-Ripoll, Airbus China chief operating officer.

The factory in Tianjin, Airbus' only final assembly line outside Europe, has delivered 172 aircraft to 13 carriers. It has only marginally delivered outside China through leasing companies. Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia is the only foreign airline operating a leased A320 assembled in Tianjin.

"We will proactively convince our customers outside China to take delivery from Tianjin. All Asian customers are subject to this," Gonzalez-Ripoll said.

"I don't expect negative reaction for that because there is no difference in quality (between aircraft assembled in Tianjin and those in Europe). Tianjin is closer to their headquarters. It might save airlines' cost of transferring people to Tianjin compared with sending people to Europe. The ferry flight will be shorter," he said.

The Tianjin factory has been considered a jewel in Airbus' industrial cooperation with China. It delivered the first single-aisle A320 aircraft in June 2009. Airbus and its Chinese partners, Tianjin Free Trade Zone Investment Co and Aviation Industry Corp of China, agreed in March to extend the joint venture for an additional 10 years. The second phase will cover the period from 2016 to 2025.

The plant is expected to have a long-lasting impact on the future growth of the northern port city as it fosters a competitive supply chain locally. Tianjin could be the third-largest aviation center in the world soon, Eric Chen, Airbus China president, said earlier.

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