Airbus hit a new high on Wednesday, delivering its 800th A320 Family aircraft assembled at its A320 Family Final Assembly Line Asia (FALA) in Tianjin Municipality in the Chinese mainland.
The milestone jet, an A321neo featuring a two-class layout with 12 business and 186 economy seats, was handed over to Air China. It marks the latest chapter in Airbus's 17-year journey in Tianjin.
Back in 2008, Airbus launched FALA as its first production line outside Europe. Since rolling out the first A320 in 2009, the Tianjin hub has celebrated its 500th and 700th deliveries in October 2020 and July 2024, respectively.
'This achievement underscores our commitment to deepening strategic partnerships in the Chinese mainland, reflecting four decades of collaboration,' said George Xu, Airbus executive vice president and Airbus China CEO.
In October 2025, Airbus further expanded its footprint by inaugurating a second A320 final assembly line in Tianjin, the company's 10th globally and its second in the Chinese mainland. The facility alone will account for 20 percent of Airbus's total A320 production capacity.
Demand in the Chinese mainland's aviation market is soaring: data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China show that 470 million residents have flown at least once—160 million more than in 2019, making the Chinese mainland home to the largest flying population worldwide.
Today, one-third of Airbus jets in service across the Chinese fleet are built in Tianjin. Nearly 200 local suppliers now feed into Airbus's global production chain, ensuring every aircraft carries Chinese-made components.
With a forecasted annual passenger growth of 5.3 percent over the next 20 years—compared to a global average of 3.6 percent—Airbus expects the Chinese mainland to absorb more than 9,000 of the 40,000 new aircraft needed by 2042. 'China's aviation market holds immense potential. We look forward to further strengthening our industrial partnership,' said Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
