Airbus China site to deliver first A330 in 2017

BEIJING - Airbus is expected to deliver its first A330 aircraft in September 2017 from its completion and delivery center in North China's Tianjin, said Airbus China on Monday.

According to Airbus China, by 2019, the Airbus China site will reach stable production capacity, completing and delivering two A330 wide-body aircraft per month.

"The cabin of the A330 is more complicated than the single-aisle aircraft due to the massive workload and difficulty," said Francois Mery, COO with Airbus Commercial Aircraft China, adding that the facility will be responsible for cabin installation, painting and flight tests of the A330.

On March 2, 2016, construction on the Airbus China A330 completion and delivery center started in Tianjin, where A330 aircraft will be completed and delivered to Chinese clients.

It is Airbus's first completion and delivery center for wide-body aircraft outside Europe. The first A330 aircraft is expected to be delivered from the center in 2017.

To date, the center has recruited 160 staff, about sixty percent of its total hiring plan. By mid-2017, about 120 Chinese employees will work at the site.