Big birds stay home, Airbus to deliver 100 shorter range planes to China

AIRBUS will to deliver more than 100 short and medium range aircraft to China this year, according to Airbus customer relations chief John Leahy.

Last year, Airbus also delivered over 100 aircraft to Chinese carriers, taking up one fifth of its worldwide aircraft deliveries, including thirty-six A320s assembled a Airbus' Tianjin assembly line. But China is putting a hold on purchases of long-haul Airbus jets from the European plane maker because of a carbon aircraft emissions tax dispute with the EU.

Mr Leahy said when he first came to China in 1994, there were only a few Airbus aircraft, but today the number has risen to over 800, marking an astonishing growth of China's aviation industry.

Although the aviation industry is facing challenge from the economic slowdown, Mr Leahy said he is still confident about its prospects. He said that aviation industry is crucial to the development of economy and that the best way to walk out of the shadow of high fuel price is to offer the market with more fuel-saving aircraft.