While Boeing lays claim to the status of “China’s leading supplier of passenger airplanes,” Airbus certainly proved itself a worthy competitor for that title last week, as it inked contracts for 102 airliners from China Aviation Supplies Holding Company (CAS). The business included new firm orders for 50 A320-family jets, six A330s and 10 A350XWBs, while the parties confirmed an earlier order for 36 A330s. An Airbus spokesperson told AIN that the manufacturer does not yet know delivery schedule details or even the identity of the airplanes’ ultimate operators. However, reports out of China have identified China Eastern, China Southern and Air China as eventual recipients.
Li Hai, president of CAS, and Tom Enders, president and CEO of Airbus, signed the agreement at the Elysée Palace in Paris, in the presence of visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, UK Minister for Industry Mark Prisk and Louis Gallois, CEO of EADS.
