Tianjin turns out to be the final choice of Airbus for the general assembly of its A320 jets, said the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on June 8th, 2006. This port metropolis of North China, the winner of four candidate Chinese cities, now possesses the first Airbus aircraft general assembly line outside Europe.

According to a MOU targeted at strengthening industrial collaboration, the two sides agreed to strive hard to deliver the first Tianjin-assembled Airbus A320 jet in 2008.

The arrival of Airbus A320 general assembly line in Tianjin became a headline both home and abroad. The new facility will be the third general assembly line of Airbus globally and the first one outside Europe. Overseas media regard it as ¡°a significant move for both sides¡±.

The facility will be located at the Airport-side Industrial Area (also called the Aero City, which is now under planning) of the TNCD, closely neighboring the Beijing-Tianjin-Tanggu Expressway and the rapidly expanding Tianjin Binhai International Airport. It is 130 kilometers away from Beijing and 30 kilometers away from the Tianjin Port, with a perfectly combined traffic advantage of railway, port, expressway, track system, in-city express road, and special line for bulk cargo.

Comparing the circum-Bohai megalopolis to a bow, some specialist describes local ports as the bowstring, the vast hinterland as an arch, and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei city belt as an arrow. Like an arrow on the bowstring, the economic take-off of the circum-Bohai region is unstoppable. The incoming general assembly line of Airbus A320 will surely serve as an economic engine for the TNCD, a planned destination for China¡¯s top-level modern manufacturing industry and R&D/incubation center by the State Council. It will also profoundly influence the whole region and surrounding provinces.

This general assembly line requires an initial investment of five billion yuan. If future renovation and construction of supporting facilities are also counted in, the total investment is predicted to be between eight to 10 billion yuan. By the end of 2010, the monthly capacity will reach four jets and the annual capacity 44 jets. Phase-one will deliver 300 commercial jets, mainly supplying the domestic market. After that, the overseas market will be put on agenda. Its first jet is expected to roll off the line in 2008.