From a single parts deal to full final assembly, the Airbus–China partnership charts the country’s rapid aviation growth.
China’s first Airbus, an A310, sits in a hangar after its 1985 delivery to the Shanghai regional branch of the Civil Aviation Administration of China. [Photo provided to China Daily]
In 1985, an Airbus A310, registered B-2301, was delivered to the Shanghai regional branch of the Civil Aviation Administration of China — now China Eastern Airlines — becoming the country's first aircraft from the European manufacturer and joining a national in‑service fleet of about 200 planes.
With that first delivery, Airbus glimpsed China's immense potential, said George Xu, CEO of Airbus China and executive vice‑president of Airbus.
China offered a vast and rapidly growing market, with the reform and opening-up policy being expected to fuel greater domestic and international exchanges, which gave the European consortium confidence in the future of the country's aviation industry, he said.
