Airbus has announced that it has closed its completion center for the single-aisle A320 and larger A330 aircraft. The facility is located at Tianjin, 150 km from Beijing. “China domestic and worldwide travel restrictions are posing some logistical challenges. The Tianjin Final Assembly Line facility is currently closed,” the European planemaker said in a statement, adding: “Airbus is constantly evaluating the situation and monitoring any potential knock-on effects to production and deliveries and will try to mitigate via alternative plans where necessary.”
The French aerospace manufacturer Safran has also decided to close over 20 operations throughout China, which will directly affect approximately 2,500 members of staff. While Airbus has given no indication when it will resume operations in China, Safran has indicate a shutdown of its services until February 10.
According to the BBC news network, On Tuesday alone, nearly 4,000 new cases were confirmed in China. The death toll has now risen to 490, an increase of 65 deaths in mainland China in one day, the latest figures from the country’s National Health Commission (NHC) said.
The WHO has declared a global health emergency over the outbreak but said it did not yet constitute a “pandemic”, or the worldwide spread of a new disease.
