An A320 was delivered at the Airbus (Tianjin) Delivery Centre (ATDC) to the China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co. Ltd. (CDB Leasing) today, which marks the successful delivery and assembly of the 300th A320 Family aircraft from Airbus’ A320 Family Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Tianjin. The aircraft is then handed over to Sichuan Airlines for operation.

The FAL in Tianjin, inaugurated in 2008, has successfully reached the target with its “Phase I” production rate of 4 aircraft per month, which means 48 to 50 aircraft per year. Airbus and the Chinese partners agreed to extend the successful joint venture for another 10 years, from 2016 to 2025. The extension, called “Phase II”, will include the final assembly of the A320neo Family from 2017 onwards for delivery to the Asian region.

“We are pleased to hand over Sichuan Airlines the 300th A320 Family aircraft assembled in Airbus’ A320 Family Final Assembly Line in Tianjin. Sichuan Airlines is a very important customer for CDB Leasing, and we believe that the new aircraft will contribute to the airline’s further growth and maintaining its market leading position,” said Huang Min, Vice President of CDB Leasing. “We are working with Airbus on a deeper and broader cooperation in aircraft purchasing and placement, aircraft financing and asset management, to offer our customers better products and services.”

Chairman and President of Sichuan Airlines Li Haiying said: “In 1995, we introduced the first A320 to mainland China, and today we’re operating over 100 A320 Family aircraft. Building on the solid foundation of our Airbus fleet, Sichuan Airlines commits to a strategic transformation with deepening reform, so as to grow to a mature and unique mid-sized airliner.”

“We’re honoured that our A320 is again chosen by both a leasing company and an airline customer,” said Eric Chen, President of Airbus China. “It’s no doubt a strong endorsement for the economics and excellent operation performance of the A320 Family.”

Sichuan Airlines operates the largest all-Airbus fleet in China with 113 aircraft, including 104 A320 Family aircraft and 9 A330 Family aircraft. In September 2016, Sichuan Airlines leased four A350-900s, which are to be deployed on its international route from Chengdu to New York.

The FAL in Tianjin is a joint venture between Airbus, Tianjin Airport Economic Area Zone & Tianjin Port Free Trade Administrative Committee and AVIC. It is the third A320 Family final assembly line in the world and the first outside Europe. FAL in Tianjin is part of Airbus global FAL network, which includes four A320 Family final assembly lines in Toulouse, France, Hamburg, German, Tianjin, China and Mobile in the United States respectively. The ATDC delivered the first aircraft assembled in the FAL in Tianjin to Sichuan Airlines in June 2009.

The A320 Family is the world’s best-selling single aisle product line with more than 12,800 orders to date and over 7,250 aircraft delivered to over 400 customers and operators worldwide.