BEIJING: Airbus expects China’s demand for widebody aircraft to be increasingly driven by both international passenger travel and air freight over the next five years, as airlines replace ageing jets and expand long-haul networks, company executives say.
Recent orders have lent weight to that view. China Eastern Airlines agreed in June to buy 25 A330neo passenger jets, Air China followed in July with an agreement for 15 A350-900s and Air China Cargo raised its order for the yet-to-fly A350F to 10 aircraft in May.
“China is not only Airbus’ largest single-country market, but it also has enormous development potential,” said Troy Wang, Airbus senior vice-president and head of commercial at Airbus China, during a recent news conference in Beijing.
“Fleet planning is moving away from the idea that one ‘star’ aircraft can serve every market,” Wang said.
“Airlines are becoming more precise, focusing on individual market segments and matching them with the most suitable aircraft.”
The outlook aligns with China’s civil aviation development plan for the 2026 to 2030 period. — China Daily/ANN
