The first A320 aircraft assembled outside Europe completed a four-hour, 14-minute flight Monday. It was assembled at the Final Assembly Line China, a joint venture between Airbus, a 51 percent stakeholder, and a Chinese consortium that includes Tianjin Free Trade Zone and China Aviation Industry Corp. The aircraft, which will be operated by Sichuan Airlines, took off from Tianjin International Airport. An Airbus official said the plane has the same quality as those assembled in Hamburg and Toulouse. (Source: Airbus, 05/18/09) Gulf Coast note: Airbus parent EADS plans to build an assembly facility in Mobile, Ala., if it wins all or a part of an Air Force contest to build tankers.
