By concentrating on its core business, Europe-based giant aircraft maker Airbus has achieved a business landmark in China - the number of Airbus aircraft used by airlines on the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao has passed the 200 mark less than a month before the high-profile 2003 China Aviation Exposition, according to the firm's China boss.

Guy McLeod

The 200th aircraft in service is an A319, which joined the Air China fleet, the Chinese flag carrier, on August 19.

"Our goal is to take at least 50 per cent of the market share in China, as we have been doing in the rest of the world," Guy McLeod, president of Airbus China, told China Daily recently.

"We are very proud to see more and more Airbus aircraft joining Chinese airlines. In 1998, the number of Airbus aircraft in China was 100 and it took only five years for us to double this figure," McLeod added.

Keeping focused on core business and striving to be an industrial leader - that is the declared goal of Airbus, said the company's China boss just before the 2003 China Aviation Exposition, which kicks off in Beijing tomorrow.

"We concentrate on making better aircraft. That is the mentality of a challenger, an attitude that I think is important for us to maintain," McLeod said.

"We are clear on our focus, which is to be the number one aircraft manufacturer in terms of products and support. We don't worry about anything else," McLeod said, in response to being asked if Airbus will follow arch-rival Boeing's example and build a maintenance facility in China.

If Airbus goes into other business such as aircraft maintenance, it will often end up competing with its local customers, such as Xiamen-based Taeco and Gameco in Guangzhou, according to McLeod.

"We are here to assist customers. We do support customers' maintenance ventures, but what we are playing is a helping role, we are not trying to take over," McLeod added.

At this first post-SARS Beijing Airshow, which is to open tomorrow, the European aircraft powerhouse is to show off its recently-developed flagship product, the A380. This will be the debut of the A380 model in the Chinese capital.

"The 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the World Expo in Shanghai will stimulate the development of China's airline industry," McLeod said. "We believe that the 555-seat A380 is the ideal vehicle to transport tens of thousands of athletes, sports fans, businessmen and tourists to China, though there are no firm orders from Chinese airlines yet."

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