China, Airbus ink deal

China signed a 10-year deal allowing Airbus to continue to assemble A320 planes at a plant in Tianjin until 2025, and also unblocked orders for larger jets worth more than $6 billion. Chinese officials in Paris also signed deals to co-produce 1,000 French EC-175 helicopters over 20 years with Airbus Group's helicopter division and to co-operate on turbo-prop engines with France's Safran. The A330 orders had been suspended during a trade row. With the agreement, Airbus will supply China’s state-owned purchasing agency with a total of 70 planes, including 27 long-haul A330s and 43 single-aisle A320 family aircraft. (Sources: Reuters, Airbus, 03/26/14) Previous. Gulf Coast note: Airbus will build A320s in Mobile, Ala., beginning in 2016.