• Tianjin A320 Final Assembly Line to be extended for another 10 years

• ATM cooperation to enhance Chinese airspace capacity

• Multiple initiatives to boost aviation’s sustainability in China focused on Wide-body fleet development

• Commitment for 70 Airbus aircraft including 27 A330 long range aircraft

March 26, 2014– Today Airbus and China have laid the foundation for taking their fruitful cooperation into the future as relevant agreements have been signed in Paris by Fabrice Brégier, Airbus President and CEO, and the Chinese parties, witnessed by the French President Francois Hollande and visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping. In parallel, China Aviation Supplies Holding Company (CAS) and Airbus have also signed a General Terms Agreement (GTA) for the purchase of a total of 70 Airbus aircraft.

According to the agreements, Airbus will strengthen its mutually beneficial cooperation with Chinese aviation industry in various fields, which include promoting Tianjin as an Asian Centre for Airbus and upgrading industrial cooperation in both scale and level.

Airbus and its Chinese partners Tianjin Free Trade Zone and Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), have agreed to extend the successful Joint Venture to assemble A320 Family aircraft in China(FALC project) for an additional 10 years. The “phase II” will cover the period from 2016 to 2025, expand deliveries to the whole Asian region and include final assembly of the A320neo Family from 2017 onwards. During Phase II, capabilities of the Tianjin Final Assembly Line will be extended.

Airbus and the Chinese parties will jointly invite more major component suppliers to develop industrial projects in Tianjin, in order to support the development of the FALC and the formation of a competitive supply chain.

To accommodate the strong growth of the Chinese aviation, which is growing much faster than the world average, and to ensure its sustainability, the future partnership is also designed to focus on alleviating these challenges by launching two other areas of cooperation; supporting the CAAC with the latest state of the art Air Traffic Management (ATM) in order to boost the capacity of Chinese airspace, and driving research into regional sustainable jetfuel and other initiatives in order to reduce the Chinese aviation environmental footprint.

The two parties will also develop cooperation activities on Airbus wide-body programmes. Airbus and relevant Chinese parties will work towards demonstrating the interest of setting up a wide-body aircraft completion centre in China, which includes cooperation on wide-body cabin interiors with AVIC.

Among the total of 70 Airbus aircraft ordered by CAS, there are 43 A320 Family aircraft and 27 A330 aircraft, reflecting the strong demand of Chinese airlines in all segments of the market, including domestic, low cost, regional and international long haul markets.

“We are going to celebrate 30 years of successful cooperation with our Chinese partners next year and I am proud that today we are strengthening the foundation for extending our successful cooperation into the future,” said Fabrice Bregier, Airbus President and CEO. “Our partnership with China, the mutual benefits we’ve explored, have been instrumental in furthering our global strategy, and we are honoured to have China as an essential pillar in our global setup. We are looking forward toproviding top performing aircraft from our Chinese assembly lines for many years to come.”

• Another vote of confidence from a leading Middle East carrier for Airbus

November 17, 2013– Etihad Airways, national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has announced a firm order for 50 A350 XWBs, 36 A320neo aircraft and one A330-200F as part of its fleet modernization strategy. The contract was signed today at the 2013 Dubai Airshow by James Hogan, Etihad Airways CEO and Fabrice Brégier, Airbus President and CEO.

The order comprises 40 A350-900s, ten A350-1000s, one A330-200F, 26 A321neo’s and 10 A320neo’s. Etihad currently operates a fleet of 23 A320 Family aircraft, 25 A330s and 11 A340s. The new aircraft will fit seamlessly into the airline’s existing long-haul fleet delivering operational efficiencies and cost savings.

James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said, “Ten years ago this month, we celebrated our inaugural flight from Abu Dhabi using an Airbus A330.

“A decade later, we have grown into one of the world’s leading airlines and the importance of Airbus to our fast-growing operations has never been stronger. We have more than 60 Airbus aircraft in our fleet today, and this latest order is testament to the continued strength of our partnership.

“As one of the first airlines set to receive the much-awaited Airbus A350-1000, we look forward to benefiting from its operational efficiencies and cost savings.”

“We are delighted that Etihad Airways has consistently maintained its confidence in the full range of Airbus’ modern aircraft family. This is highlighted by today’s new order for the fuel-efficient A320neo Family, to the versatile A330-200F and up to the all-new, efficient A350 XWB Family,” said Fabrice Brégier, Airbus President and CEO. “We look forward to seeing Etihad benefit from the unbeatable economics and best-in-class comfort all our aircraft offer, ensuring the continued success of Etihad Airways as a leading airline for the years to come.”

The A350 XWB (Xtra Wide-Body) is an all-new mid-size long range product line comprising three versions. The new Family, whose fuselage cross-section is optimized to accommodate Airbus’ 18-inch economy seat-width for long range passenger comfort, will also bring a 25 percent step change in efficiency compared with existing aircraft in this size category. Scheduled for entry-into-service in 2014, the A350 XWB to date has already won 764 firm orders from 39 customers worldwide.

The A320neo is offered as an option for the A320 Family and incorporates new more efficient engines and large “Sharklet” wing tip devices, which together will deliver up to 15 percent in fuel savings. At the end of October 2013, firm orders for the NEO stood at 2,487 from 44 customers, making it the fastest selling commercial airliner ever and underlining its market leadership position.

The A330-200F is the all-freight version of the best-selling A330 Family. It is the world’s most modern mid-size freighter and can carry 70 tonnes of payload with a range capability of up to 4,000nm. To date, Airbus has won more than 1,280 orders for the various versions of the A330, with over 1,010 aircraft currently flying with more than 100 operators worldwide.

• Deal worth $2.8bn for up to 13 A330-200Fs including options
• Complementing three A330-200Fs already operated by Qatar Airways

November 17, 2013–Qatar Airways has placed a firm order for five new Airbus A330-200 Freighter aircraft in an agreement signed at the Dubai Airshow 2013. These new aircraft will complement the airline’s rapidly growing network, which includes more than 40 routes that have dedicated freighter services. Included in the order are eight additional A330-200F options – which would make today’s deal potentially worth over $2.8bn at list prices for a total of 13 aircraft. These aircraft on order will complement three A330-200Fs Qatar Airways already operates since earlier this year.

“The A330 Family has demonstrated outstanding operational reliability and performance for both our passenger and cargo transport operations. It is with this in mind that we chose to expand our freighter fleets with more A330-200Fs,” said Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways CEO. “We aim to be the best in everything we do, the air cargo market is no different, which is why we ordered the most modern and economic cargo aircraft available in its category.”

Airbus President and CEO, Fabrice Brégier said, “Qatar Airways is one of our key partners in the region, and its selection of the A330-200F illuminates its ambitious plans as the airline expands and invests in new freighter aircraft. The A330-200F, with up to 70 metric tonnes of payload, is the only viable alternative to large freighters in today’s fast changing market, making it an ideal choice for a constantly evolving carrier.”

Qatar Airways continues to be a highly valued customer and partner with Airbus – a relationship which has flourished since the airline received its first Airbus aircraft in 1997. Today Airbus aircraft form an ever more essential cornerstone of Qatar Airways’ global operations with more than 200 aircraft directly ordered across all modern Airbus product families, from the single-aisle A320 all the way up to the flagship A380.

Aimed at replacing ageing mid-sized freighters, the A330-200F offers an alternative to larger freighters within fleets. Benefiting from the technical superiority and market success of the A330 passenger version, it will offer opportunities to grow frequencies in under-served markets at no additional cost-per-tonne.

The A330-200F is the world’s most modern mid-size freighter and can carry 70 tonnes of payload, with a range capability of up to 4,000nm. This range and payload capability provides flexibility for both regional and intercontinental operations, versatility to match costs and frequencies with market expectations, thereby allowing operators to grow existing business and expand into new routes.