Airbus and China Aviation Supplies Holding Company (CAS) on Monday signed a general terms agreement (GTA) covering the purchase by Chinese airlines of 300 Airbus jetliners. The GTA, signed in Paris by Airbus Commercial Aircraft president Guillaume Faury and CAS chairman Jia Baojun during a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, calls for the sale of 290 A320 narrowbodies and 10 A350 widebodies.
“We are honored to support the growth of China’s civil aviation with our leading aircraft families,” said Faury. “Our expanding footprint in China demonstrates our lasting confidence in the Chinese market and our long-term commitment to China and our partners.”
By the end of January 2019, the combined Airbus fleet in service with Chinese operators totaled some 1,730 aircraft, including 1,455 A320s and 17 A350s.
According to Airbus’s latest China market forecast, the country will need some 7,400 new passenger and freighter aircraft in the next 20 years, accounting for more than 19 percent of the total world demand for over 37,400 new aircraft.
