China orders 150 Airbus jets worth $9.7b

12/05/2005

Updated: 2005-12-05 20:12 (AP)—China ordered 150 Airbus single-aisle passenger jets on Monday in a deal worth some $9.7 billion at list prices, boosting European industry during a visit to France by Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.

Top French and Chinese aviation officials signed the deal alongside a batch of other industrial orders following talks between Wen and his French counterpart Dominique de Villepin.

Other agreements include a deal between China and Eurocopter, the world’s largest civilian helicopter maker, to produce a 6 tonne helicopter, and a 150-million-euro Chinese order for a high-speed Shitai railway link.

Both Airbus and Eurocopter are subsidiaries of European aerospace firm EADS .

China also ordered a telecoms satellite from Alcatel Alenia Space .

The jet deal comes a day after Airbus agreed with Wen to look at expanding the assembly lines for single-aisle aircraft outside Europe for the first time by building a site in China.

The A320 family of single-aisle jets comprises four aircraft capable of seating 107 to 185 passengers.