Airbus Industrie expects to deliver about 20 aircraft per year to China in the coming years, averaging about 10% of total global deliveries.
Airbus China president Rolf Rue says the manufacturer will have delivered 19 aircraft to China by the end of the year, out of total global deliveries of 185. In 1998, 23 aircraft are expected to be delivered, out of a total 234 global deliveries.
Rue says he still considers the numbers relatively small, however, as the consortium is looking for a much greater share of the potentially huge China market.
"We're still only at about 20% market share in ChinaÉ ie, western aircraft on firm order or delivered," Beijing-based Rue says.
"Our worldwide market share target is 50%. What we would expect is to see our cumulative market share progressively increase [in China] as it is doing worldwide. That means 50% of the market in China."
Meanwhile, 10 Airbus A320s recently leased by China Eastern Airlines (CEA) from General Electric Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) are destined for two of the carrier's domestic subsidiaries.
Deliveries are to begin in February next year to Nanjing-based Jiangsu Aviation, China-based Airbus employees say. Jiangsu will take five of the narrowbodies while the remaining five will go to Nanchang-based CEA Jiangxi Branch.
Source: Flight Daily News
