Airbus opens second jet assembly line in China

Airbus said on Wednesday it had opened a second assembly line in China, increasing manufacturing capacity for its best-selling A320neo family of single-aisle jets.

The European planemaker’s tenth final assembly line globally, located in the port city of Tianjin near Beijing, is set to be fully operational in early 2026.

Its inauguration comes just over a week after Airbus opened a second final assembly line in Mobile, Alabama.

Ahead of the Tianjin opening, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury met with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao on Tuesday, the ministry said in a statement.

During the meeting, Wang stressed that rising economic fragmentation and unilateral, protectionist moves were unsettling global trade and adding instability and uncertainty, the ministry said on Wednesday.

Airbus committed to expanding its presence in China and contributing to China-France and China-Europe trade ties, the ministry added.

Airbus did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Industry sources said this month that the back-to-back ceremonies in Mobile and Tianjin were being designed to avoid falling foul of a tricky trade climate between China and the United States.

Since Airbus first announced the overseas expansion plans in 2022 and 2023, Washington and Beijing have plunged into a months-long trade war, leaving Airbus and some other European companies anxious to avoid offending either trade power. REUTERS