Chinese aircraft lessor ICBC Financial Leasing Co. Ltd. took delivery of its first of 92 Airbus aircraft today, an A320, at a ceremony held in Toulouse, France.

ICBC’s A320 is equipped with 180 seats in a single class cabin and powered by CFMI engines. The aircraft will be operated by the low cost carrier Thai Air Asia.

The delivery is part of a firm order for 42 A320s signed in June 2011. In August 2012, ICBC placed a second order for an additional 50 A320 Family aircraft, including 30 A320ceo and 20 A320neo. In total ICBC has ordered 92 Airbus single aisle aircraft.

“ICBC Leasing has set a goal to become one of the top lessors in the world. Today, we are happy to receive the first of the A320 Family aircraft we have ordered. This demonstrates that our aviation leasing business has taken a new step forward to play a bigger role in the international aviation market,” said Cong Lin, President of ICBC Leasing.

“We are very pleased to deliver the first A320 Family aircraft to ICBC Leasing. The A320 Family is the aircraft of choice in the world’s fastest growing aviation region because of its unbeatable economics and reliability,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “Passengers love the widest and most comfortable single aisle cabin.”

The first A320 Family aircraft was introduced in China in 1995, and today there are some 715 A320 Family aircraft in service with 15 operators.

ICBC Leasing is a wholly owned subsidiary of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (“ICBC”), the business scope covers the field of aviation, shipping, large ticket equipment etc. Since its establishment in November 2007, ICBC Leasing has become the leading and market pioneer of Chinese financial leasing industry. ICBC Leasing owns and manages 77 aircraft, 159 ship and more than 20,000 sets of large ticket equipment.

To date, more than 8,600 Airbus A320 Family aircraft have been sold and almost 5,300 delivered to some 365 customers and operators worldwide, making it the world’s best selling commercial jetliner ever. With proven reliability and extended servicing periods, the A320 Family has the lowest operating costs of any single-aisle aircraft.

Source: Airbus