EUROPEAN aircraft manufacturer Airbus is forecasting mainland China will require more than 130 new Airbus 380s in the next 20 years to ease airport congestion.
"Over the next year, we will see more orders from China for the A380," said John Leahy, Airbus customer service chief.
Mainland China is said to be the main battlefield for Airbus and Boeing because its national fleet is expected to quadruple to 4,000 by 2020 from today's 1,064 planes, said Airbus.
Airbus expects it can sell 2,000 aircraft in the next two decades to China where air traffic is second only to the United States. Airbus accounts for more than 50 per cent of new orders in China.
The A380 has drawn 160 firm orders from 14 airlines worldwide, including five from China Southern Airlines. The aircraft's first commercial flight is set for next month on the Singapore-Sydney route with Singapore Airlines. The mammoth aircraft flew over Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour recently on its Asian tour.
Airbus is also in talks with Air China and China Eastern Airlines on the design of the A380, according to Mr Leahy.
Airbus said very large aircraft would account for about 3,400 flights a day from 200 airports, with nearly 70 per cent likely to be clustered around 25 airports.
Asian Shipper News
Login
