Economic Watch: Chinese firm produces 100th Airbus A220 mid-fuselage

SHENYANG, July 12 (Xinhua) -- The 100th China-made mid-fuselage section for the Airbus A220 aircraft rolled off the production line in Shenyang, in northeast China's Liaoning Province, on Friday.

The mid-fuselage was manufactured by SAC Commercial Aircraft International Ltd. (SACI), a subsidiary of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China.

Weighing around 4.6 tonnes with a length of up to 16 meters, it is the largest part of the single-aisle A220 aircraft.

"The on-time completion and delivery of the mid-fuselage demonstrates our manufacturing capability, which emphasizes safety, quality and reliability," said Deng Yudong, chairman of SACI.

"It demonstrates our confidence in the A220 aircraft, in our cooperation with Airbus, and in the Chinese civil-aircraft manufacturing industry," Deng said, adding that the company's confidence is based on market recognition, the strengthening of the domestic supply chain and stable China-Europe cooperation.

So far, SACI's monthly production rate is sufficient to meet the demands of five A220 aircraft.

However, SACI is gearing up its production rate to meet the demands of the Airbus A220 monthly production rate, which will reach six aircraft by early 2022, and 14 by the middle of this decade, according to the company.

"Quality is the foundation of safety, the high delivery rate is the guarantee of economy, while new technologies, the low carbon footprint and environmental protection are the guarantee of sustainable development," Deng said.

Airbus and SACI have committed to deepening cooperation to ensure the quality and delivery of aircraft parts, as well as ramping up the production rate, he added.

The A220 family single-aisle aircraft is purpose-built for the 100 to 150-seat market segment. To date, the aircraft family has received more than 640 orders, with 159 delivered to the market.

"All of the A220 aircraft flying around the world have their airframes made here. There are many reasons for Airbus to continue and expand cooperation with China, not only in quantity, but also in quality," said Michel Tran Van, chief operating officer of Airbus China.

"China is our key market and the hub of our supply chain, but it is far more than that. It's an integral part of the global aviation industrial ecosystem, a country with talented people and innovation vitality, and good potentials," said Tran Van.