AIRBUS INDUSTRIE is set to expand its Chinese operator base, following an agreement to allocate units from the previously unplaced batch of 20 A320s to China Northwest Airlines and Zhejiang Airlines.
Under a deal reached with state-run China Aviation Supplies (CASC), ten A320s will be delivered to China Northwest and three to Hangzhou-based Zhejiang. Both carriers will use the new A320s to replace Tupolev Tu-154Ms.
The remaining seven A320s will be placed with China Southern Airlines, in addition to ten aircraft which were allocated to the Guangzhou-based carrier at the time of the orders. All 30 A320s were ordered in April by CASC (Flight International, 17-23 April). No engine selection has yet been made for either the China Northwest or Zhejiang aircraft.
Boeing, in the meantime, is drawing encouragement from the rescheduling of a trip to the USA by China's foreign trade and economic co-operation minister, Wu Yi. Her planned visit to Washington on 26-27 September is being perceived as an important sign of gradually improving relations between the countries.
Wu was to have travelled to the USA in late March, but cancelled the trip because of growing political and trade tension. She had been expected to conclude $3 billion-worth of aerospace contracts for new Boeing and McDonnell Douglas aircraft (Flight International, 20-26 March ).
According to a recent statement by Civil Aviation Administration of China vice-minister Shen Yuankang, Chinese airlines are expected to place orders for around 180 new aircraft by 2000. He adds that the bulk of these additional orders would be for 150- to 200-seat narrowbody aircraft.
The new aircraft are needed to keep pace with a projected 14%-a-year growth in air transport over the next five years.
Source: Flight International
