Widebody jetliner deliveries begin at Airbus’ new A330 Completion and Delivery Centre in China

Airbus has delivered the initial jetliner from its new A330 Completion and Delivery Centre (C&DC) in Tianjin, China, marking the formal inauguration of Airbus’ first ever industrial facility outside Europe for widebody aircraft and reinforcing the company’s global footprint. The Completion and Delivery Centre was created to process twin-engine A330s, which are the most popular widebody aircraft in China – currently operated by nine airlines in the country. Receiving the milestone No. 1 A330 from this Chinese facility was Tianjin Airlines. The aircraft, an A330-200 version, was assembled and equipped at Airbus’ Toulouse, France headquarters location by Chinese and European employees before flying to Tianjin. It becomes the latest addition to the Chinese fleet of in-service Airbus aircraft, which includes a combined total of over 1,480 single-aisle and widebody jetliners. Currently staffed with some 150 Chinese employees trained by Airbus experts in Toulouse, the A330 Completion and Delivery Centre ultimately will employ over 250 persons. The facility is located at the same site as the Airbus Tianjin A320 final assembly line and the Airbus Tianjin Delivery Centre for single-aisle A320 Family aircraft. All of these operations support the development of engineering skills and technology innovation in China while promoting the integration of Chinese suppliers into the Airbus global supply chain.