China Aviation Supplies Holding Company (CAS) has signed with Airbus a General Terms Agreement (GTA) for 45 A330 Family aircraft and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for  options for 30 A330s. The agreements reflect the continuous popularity of the versatile A330 Family in the world’s fastest growing market.

The GTA and MoU were signed today in Paris by Fabrice Brégier, Airbus President and CEO and Li Hai, President and CEO of CAS in the presence of visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and French Prime Minister Manuel Valls.

“The package order is a new vote of confidence in our A330 Family aircraft, which is already the most popular wide-body aircraft in China,” said Fabrice Brégier. “China is today the most important market for aviation in the world, we can be confident that air transport in China will continue to undergo rapid growth. We are honoured to contribute to this development.”

According to Airbus’ market forecast, China will become the leading country for passenger air traffic, for both domestic and international markets, as passenger traffic in the country grows well above the world average. Domestic air traffic in China will become the world’s number one within 10 years. In the 20 year period between 2014 to 2033 Airbus forecasts a demand in China for more than 5,300 new commercial passenger aircraft sized over 100 seats plus freighters.

At present, the in-service Airbus fleet with Chinese operators comprises over 1,150 aircraft (over 980 A320 Family aircraft, over 150 A330 Family aircraft and five A380s).

The A330 is one of the most popular widebody aircraft ever and has to date won over 1,500 orders, with over 1,100 flying with some 110 operators worldwide. Airbus is investing hundreds of millions of Euros per year in the A330 Family to maintain the aircraft at the leading edge of innovations. The A330 Family is part of the world’s most modern and comprehensive widebody product line, which also includes the larger A350 XWB and double deck A380. The A330 family seats between 250 and 440 passengers and is one of the most efficient aircraft in the world, with the lowest operating costs in its category. Thanks to the continuous introduction of a large number of innovations, the A330 remains the most profitable and best performing aircraft in its class, boasting an average operational reliability of 99.4 percent. Worldwide an A330 Family aircraft takes off or lands every 20 seconds.

Airbus is the world’s leading aircraft manufacturer of passenger airliners, ranging in capacity from 100 to more than 500 seats. Airbus has design and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, the UK, and Spain, and subsidiaries in the US, China, India, Japan and in the Middle East. In addition, it provides the highest standard of customer support and training through an expanding international network.

Press Release and picture: Airbus