MERZ 'PINCHED' SALES OF 120 AIRBUSES WITH THE VISIT TO CHINA - Filenews 26/2
Airbus has secured a significant order for 120 passenger jets from China, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said during an official visit to the country.
"We have just received the news that China's leadership will order a large number of additional aircraft from Airbus," Merz told reporters after dinner with Xi Jinping, putting the total number up to 120, according to Bloomberg.
Merz did not specify the types of aircraft China intends to order or when the purchase will take place.
Airbus is a multinational European consortium, with France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom as the main countries of participation.
The aircraft are manufactured in various factories in these countries, and there are also final assembly lines in other parts of the world.
China uses high-profile political visits to seal corporate agreements, and Airbus, as one of Europe's largest exporters, has benefited significantly from this practice. The aircraft manufacturer has a final assembly line in Tianjin, where it mainly manufactures A320-type aircraft, which are primarily intended for local airlines.
As capital.gr reports, China usually orders aircraft from Airbus and Boeing in large quantities and then distributes them among its state-owned airlines. The country is currently the world's second-largest aviation market after the US and has tried to enter the Boeing-Airbus dipole with its own Comac C919 model, which is similar in size to the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737.
Merz's announcement comes a few weeks before Donald Trump's scheduled trip to China. Boeing has benefited significantly from Trump's business agenda, regularly winning large orders for aircraft from countries visited by the American leader.
The prospect of a new series of Chinese aircraft orders comes after Airbus received orders and commitments at the end of last year for about 150 aircraft from airlines such as Air China Ltd. and aircraft leasing company China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings Ltd.
China has not ordered U.S. aircraft in recent years, but it could eventually commit to a large Boeing order during Trump's visit.
Chancellor Merz travelled to China accompanied by a large delegation of businessmen and representatives of important German companies, seeking to discuss practical trade and investment issues.
"We want a balanced, reliable, regulated and fair partnership with China. This is our offer and these are the things we hope and expect from the Chinese side," the German chancellor told reporters.
