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FALC's third A320 delivered
By Li Yang (China Daily Tianjin Bureau)
Updated: 2009-08-11 14:13

Tianjin: Airbus has delivered the third aircraft assembled at its Final Assembly Line China (FALC) to Shenzhen Airlines on August 6.

Another four A320 aircraft are expected to be delivered to Shenzhen Airlines next year.

"The A320 we deliver today is the sign of Shenzhen Airlines' confidence in Airbus and FALC. We will continue with our effort in contributing to the development of China's civil aviation industry," Wang Qi, Senior Sales Supervisor of Airbus China, said at the hand-over ceremony.

Yi Yunyuan, Chief Engineer of Shenzhen Airlines, also expressed his appreciation for FALC: "We are happy to receive the 29th Airbus in Tianjin. Receiving in FALC spares us a lot trouble."

FALC, a joint venture between Airbus and a Chinese consortium comprising the Tianjin Free Trade Zone (TJFTZ) and the China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC), is based on the latest state-of-the-art Airbus single-aisle Final Assembly Line in Hamburg, Germany.

The aircraft, powered by CFM56-5B4/3 engines, has a two-class configuration with eight business class seats and 150 economy class seats. The aircraft will fly to Shenyang to take its first flight via Wuhan to Shenzhen on August 7. It will enter into service on routes between Shenyang and cities like Lijiang and Hailar.

The A320 family, with more than 6,300 aircraft sold and over 3,900 aircraft delivered to more than 300 customers and operators worldwide, is the world's best-selling single-aisle aircraft family. By the end of June 2009, over 400 A320 family aircraft will be in operation, with 12 operators in China.

Eleven A319 and A320 aircraft are scheduled for delivery in Tianjin in 2009, and the FALC production rate will be ramped up to four aircraft per month by the end of 2011.