Recruiting in China

ZHUHAI • Airbus said yesterday it would hire 600 staff for its new assembly plant to be built in the north Chinese port city of Tianjin.

Speaking at a media briefing at Airshow China, the country’s only air show and exhibition, Laurence Barron, president of Airbus China, said staff would be trained on the existing production line in Hamburg, Germany.

Airbus announced last week that it would open an Airbus A320 assembly plant that would eventually make four planes a month, with the first expected to be completed in 2009.

Airbus will ship sections of aircraft from Hamburg to Tianjin for final assembly.

The construction of the plant, near Beijing, was announced last week, along with China’s purchase of 150 A320 aircraft in a deal worth about $10bn, with delivery expected from 2009, Barron said.

It brings the total order to 300, following China’s order last year of 150 Airbus planes.

Barron said some of the Chinese order would be made in Tianjin but some planes would also be made for the European market.

He would not reveal further details about the plant or its future development until it received final approval from the Chinese government, which was preparing a formal feasibility report.

However, Barron highlighted the importance of the fast-growing Chinese market.

“(China) is a very important market. With its air traffic doubling here every five years, it’s becoming or has already become a major market in the world. We are taking China extremely seriously,” he told reporters.

Airbus estimated that China would need around 1,790 planes over the next 20 years.

The European company is seeking to undercut US rival Boeing, which has about two-thirds of the lucrative Chinese civil aviation sector and says it is aiming for a 50 per cent market share.

Analysts said the latest developments could be significant in helping Airbus achieve its goal.