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Airbus delivers first A319 assembled in China

(China Daily Tianjin Bureau)
Updated: 2009-07-24 17:31

Airbus delivered its second aircraft to Deer Air assembled at its Final Assembly Line China (FALC) in Tianjin, a month after the company handed over its first A320 aircraft to Sichuan Airlines.

The A319 aircraft was handed over to Deer Air at a grand ceremony held at the Airbus Delivery Centre in Tianjin. The new aircraft is Deer Air's twenty first A319 aircraft.

Hu Mingbo, executive chairman of Deer Air, said the company is very proud to take delivery of the first A319 aircraft assembled in China.

"The single-type fleet of highly reliable and efficient A319 helps us increase our efficiency and reduce our operational costs," he said.

The aircraft, powered by IAE V2500 engines, has a one class configuration with 144 economy seats. It will start its operation between Xi'an and Xiamen via Changsha from 24 July.

HNA Group, the parent company of Deer Air, currently operates 29 Airbus aircrafts, including five A330s and three A340s.

Marc Bertiaux, vice president of Airbus China, said by delivering the first A319 aircraft to Deer Air on schedule, Airbus China is proud to illustrate the ramp up of FALC as well as the successful cooperation with the company's Chinese partners.

"Airbus is committed to providing Chinese airlines with the best products and services to support their development," he said.

"Deer Air will continue to benefit from the A320 Family’s proven reliability and lowest operating costs and more specifically from the A319 versatility."

The A320 Family is recognized as the benchmark single-aisle aircraft family. With more than 6,300 aircraft sold and nearly 3,900 delivered to some 300 customers and operators worldwide, the A320 Family is the world's best-selling single-aisle aircraft commercial jetliner.

With proven reliability and extended servicing periods, the A320 Family has the lowest operating costs of any single aisle aircraft. The A320 Family includes four aircraft - A318, A319, A320 and A321 - which all share a unique cockpit and operational commonality across the range.

As of June 2009, over 400 A320 Family aircrafts are in operation worldwide, with around 600 A320 aircrafts in China.