PARIS -- Airbus would be happy to expand its
cooperation with the Chinese aviation
industry after 26 years of success, says the president of Airbus China.
"Our
long-time strategy is to build continuously an ever-increasing footprint in China,"
Laurence Barron, president of Airbus China Co Ltd, told Xinhua during a recent
interview.
Inaugurated in
1985, cooperation between the two sides was not just commercial, but also on
the industrial front, including parts' manufacturing, engineering, composite
manufacturing and final assembly, Barron told Xinhua.
The total value
of industrial cooperation between Airbus
and the Chinese aviation industry was
expected to double from over $200 million in 2010 to $500 million each year by
2015, according to statistics from the France-based aero giant.
"The size of
the Airbus fleet in China
has also grown very significantly in recent years" Barron said. He pointed
out that as of the end of May a total of 689 Airbus aircraft have been in
service with Chinese airlines.
The latest
footprint, Barron said, was the delivery of the 50th aircraft assembled by the
Airbus A320 Family Final Assembly Line in China (FALC) earlier this month.
The assembly line
is a joint venture launched in September 2008 between Airbus and a Chinese consortium that includes the Tianjin Free
Trade Zone and China Aviation Industry Corp It is Airbus' first final assembly
line outside of Europe. The facility is
expected to assemble four planes per month by 2012.
All Airbus commercial aircraft now
have components produced in China.
Six Chinese companies are involved in manufacturing parts for Airbus jet liners, adding a strong "Chinese flavor" to the big
airplane family.
While carrying
out projects with Chinese aviation
industry partners, Airbus has conducted
a number of research and technology programs with various Chinese universities
and research institutes, Barron said.
"These
research programs can potentially, one day, lead to something completely new,
completely different like the conceptual aircraft of 2050," he said.
At the ongoing Paris Air Show, Airbus unveiled its "concept cabin" scheduled to be
completed in 2050, which features a transparent fuselage that can offer
passengers a panoramic view of the night sky or of landscapes passing below.
The show also
witnessed the overseas debut of a real-size demo mock-up of C-919 trunkliner's
forward fuselage, of which China
owns the independent intellectual property right.
Recognizing the
endeavor, Barron welcomed the challenge, saying "the Chinese market is big
enough for three competitors and Airbus was born into competition."
"We will
continue to develop our relationship with China, in the fields of
manufacturing, engineering and research," Barron said. "I believe
this is a global industry and that China will be very much part of
this global industry in the years to come."
Airbus China was
officially established in 1994 and Barron was appointed president on January 1,
2004 after 22 years with the company.
