Airbus' first delivery from new China assembly line highlights supply chain resilience

Airbus delivered the first aircraft built at its new Final Assembly Line (FAL) for the A320 family in Tianjin, China, on Wednesday—described as the second FAL of its kind in both China and Asia. China Eastern Airlines received the A320neo. Airbus said the milestone supports an expanded industrial footprint across China and its global manufacturing network. Philippe Mhun, Airbus executive vice president for programmes and services, linked the delivery to “China speed” and highlighted supply-chain resilience. He Xiaoqun, China Eastern’s vice president, said cooperation with Airbus has spanned more than four decades, including maintenance and technical services. Airbus also cited China’s civil aviation growth and said the second FAL, operational since October, helps ramp toward 75 A320 aircraft per month. Since 2008, the Tianjin line has assembled and delivered over 800 A320 Family aircraft.