Airbus' joint venture in China to increase A320 rudder production

Airbus has signed an agreement with its Chinese partners on progressively increasing the production of A320 rudder at the Hafei Airbus Composite Manufacturing Centre (HMC), a joint venture between Airbus and AVIC HAFEI and other Chinese partners.

The agreement was signed today in Berlin, Germany, by Fabrice Brégier, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, and Liu Guanglin, Vice President of AVIC HAFEI and Chairman of HMC, at the Third Airbus/NDRC Aviation Cooperation & Development Summit, organized by Airbus and China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and attended by Zhang Xiaoqiang, Vice Minister of NDRC.

According to the agreement, HMC will increase its production of A320 rudders progressively in the next years to reach 21 shipsets per month by 2014, which represents half of the total production of A320 rudders worldwide. Currently HMC produces about three shipsets of A320 rudders per month.

"The agreement is an important development of the joint venture manufacturing centre. We are proud to be further integrated into the Airbus worldwide supply chain network and play a more important role in the production of the world's best selling single-aisle aircraft," said Liu Guanglin.

"The agreement demonstrates our long-term commitment to the partnership with Chinese aviation industry," said Tom Enders, President and CEO of Airbus. "The ramp up of the rudder production at HMC will be a strong support to the further development of the joint venture."