The number of airplanes is identical as is the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, but the location, the host and above all the manufacturer awarded with the order of 300 aircraft are others.
As if repeating the episode in which it acquired 300 jets of Boeing during President Donald Trump’s visit to the country, China Aviation Supplies Holding Company returned to buy the same amount of airplanes, but this time from Airbus.
In that case, the agreement was signed Wednesday in Paris and involves the purchase of 290 A320 Family and 10 A350 unspecified aircraft. The event was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron.
“We are honored to support the growth of China’s civil aviation with our leading aircraft families – single aisle and widebodies,” said Guillaume Faury, President of Airbus Commercial Aircraft and future Airbus CEO. And who would not be honored with such an order?
Enjoy while it’s time
CAS is a Chinese leasing company, but like other companies in the communist country, it belongs to the government, more precisely to China Civil Aviation Administration.
His business is to offer commercial airplanes to the numerous Chinese airlines, the fastest growing market in the world. The forecasts for Boeing and Airbus are similar: the US manufacturer believes China will need 7,240 aircraft in the next 20 years while the European company expects a little more, 7,400 units.
However, it is better to take advantage of the current moment when the two giants have no competitors in this segment, something that should change in the next decade and precisely in China.
The country develops several commercial aircraft projects such as the C919, a rival for the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, and CR929, a wide body of the size of an A350 that is partnered with Russia.
It is fortunate for Western manufacturers that these planes will take a long time to be included in the CAS shopping list.
