A320 assembly line in Tianjin.

Tianjin municipality was a highlight at the 13th Beijing International Aviation Exposition which closed on September 26.

The four-day expo attracted over 200 aviation enterprises from home and abroad including Boeing, Airbus, and European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS). All were here to woo China, the world's second largest aviation market after the United States, according to a report by the Tianjin Airport-based Industrial Zone.

Laurence Barron, president of Airbus China, said at the expo that the A320 assembly line is doing well in Tianjin and plans to deliver about 80 aircrafts to Chinese clients soon. The factory, which?began construction?in 2006, is the only Airbus plant outside Europe.

Airbus China will also install wings made by Chinese manufacturers in Tianjin's free trade zone on its A320 series next year, according to Barron.

Another aircraft giant, the Boeing company, currently the largest supplier for China’s aviation industry, is "steadily expanding its business in China", said Zhuang Borun, vice president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes Group China.

Boeing Tianjin Composites Co., a joint venture owned by Boeing International Holdings Ltd, and China Aviation Industry Cooperation with a total investment capital of around US$100,000,000, will double its output after its ongoing expansion, he added.

The northern China coastal city is currently home to seven major aviation projects including the A320 assembly line, a wing assembly project, civil helicopter industry base and special vehicle production base.

The aviation industry, designated by the Tianjin municipal government as the economic pillar of the municipality, has been the fastest-growing industry in Tianjin.

The output of Tianjin's aviation and aerospace industry in the first seven months of this year has reached 7.5 billion yuan, up 33 times year-on-year, local authorities said.

By Guo Changdong